Safe kayaking requires knowing how to get back in your boat in case of a capsize. In this video Chris Martin from Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers takes Emily Deem from WLUK TV through some the the steps to an assisted kayak rescue.
Check out more safety and paddle event information at the NEWP website.
Spring has been slow in coming this year and the Wolf River is still flowing with a lot of water. Water that flows over it’s banks and creates new places to explore when flood season is here. We have finally had a series of really nice weather days for paddling and the river was calling.
The Wolf River typically floods in the spring around the New London fishing area. This is a nice spot to explore if you want to float beyond the banks of the normal river channel. The New London fishing area is not a regular boat landing spot. Launching from the shore line can be muddy and rocky.
Big Eau Pleine Reservoir is a 6300 reservoir in north central Wisconsin with lots of paddling opportunities along its wooded shores. There are 11 boat landings on the reservoir where you can get on and explore this stretched out reservoir.
Big Eau Pleine County Park is a 1400 acre park with trails, camping and a couple of boat landings. The park is on a peninsula in the north central side of the reservoir making this location a good base location for your paddle explorations. There are a number of campsites that are close to the water and would make great bases for a multi day paddle exploration of this large reservoir.
Enjoy these photos of paddling and camping around Big Eau Pleine County Park.
Did you know there are over 500 public islands in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin, with its 84,000 miles of rivers and 15,000 lakes, is full of places to paddle, float, fish, or just watch and listen.
The BLM has a share in all this beauty, since we manage about 500 islands in Wisconsin’s rivers and lakes. These are the islands that were omitted from the original land survey back in the 1830s and 1840s. We don’t manage all the islands. Many of our islands are close to other state-owned islands or private islands, and it is critical that you determine whether an island is public land before you use it.
Have you visited any of our BLM public islands?
For more information and detailed locations with maps of these island visit the Public Lands of Wisconsin website.
“We want people to record and photograph the put-ins and take-out points and get shots of the in-between,” he said. “We’re looking for GPS coordinates, too. Paddlers would submit all that to a website. The first would be listed as the segment trailblazer.”
That segment also would be listed on a proposed Lake Michigan water trail passport that paddlers can carry. Those who eventually complete the trail would get a certificate of completion, Lemberg said.
Mapping new trails: Kayakers called upon to explore 1,600-mile Lake Michigan Water Trail | MLive.com.
What do you do when winter hangs on and you want to get out paddling? Well Sean and Craig decided to have a little fun on the Fox River near Lutz Park playing and rolling. Check out the pics and keep dreaming of warmer days ahead.
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There is a lot of different information out there around launch fees for paddlers. Our friend Dave Horst has put together some basic information so you can be informed on the current policies in the along the Fox River Heritage Parkway. If you have additional information about launches please share in the comments.
CURRENT FEES – Non- motorized launches
Winnebago County 2013 Fees
County Resident $5, $25 annual
Non County Resident $5, $35 annual
Senior Citizen County Resident (55+) $5, $20 annual
City of Menasha
(reciprocal with Neenah, Appleton)
Resident $5, $20 annual
Nonresident $5, $40 annual
A early spring flooded Fritse Park Launch – Menasha, WI.
Town of Menasha
(trailer fee)
Resident $4, annual $15
Resident $13, annual $30
City of Neenah
Resident $5, annual $15
Kimberly
Resident $5, annual $15
Nonresident $5, annual $25
Green Bay, De Pere, Brown County
$5, $30 annual
Green Lake County
Resident $5, $20 annual
Nonresident $5, $30 annual
Omro
Resident $5, annual $20
Non resident $5, annual $35
Do you love paddling in Wisconsin? Would you like to connect with other paddlers and talk about kayaking and canoeing in Wisconsin?
We just created a new Google+ community for Wisconsin Paddlers. Check it out here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114999439401959644246?cfem=1
Check out this video of paddling the Lake Superior Sea Caves of Wisconsin. Gear Junkie takes viewers to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, where their crew paddle a mile-long stretch of sandstone caves to go spelunking in a kayak.
see more about Gear Junkie’s Off the Map Series
Reflections on Black Otter Lakeweedy channel Northeast side of lake
Black Otter Lake is a small weedy lake located in Hortonville, WI. The lake is 70+ acres and has an small island and an upstream shallow area beyond the railroad bridge that can be paddled before it gets too weedy in the summer or after the weeds die back in the fall.
Weed overgrowth is a challenge on the lake during the warm summer months. It’s a fun little lake to paddle if you don’t mind lots of weeds or go early in the spring or late in the fall. The people that live around and manage Black Otter Lake have been trying to do a number of things to control weeds in the lake. This summer they are planning to draw down the water level by 2 1/2 feet in an attempt to get the weeds to die off in the shallows.
Here’s what the lake looks like in April with the normal water level.
weedy channel Northeast side of lake
nearing the railroad bridge - southeast end of lake
shallows west of the railroad bridge
west of the railroad bridge shallow area
