Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

[jbruere]

I'm new to iboats, but figured maybe someone on here could help me! We are heading to the Wisconsin Dells for the long holiday weekend. It's been years since I've been to the Dells and first time with our boat. We are staying at the Holiday Shores Campground and will be boating right along there. I'm assuming it's the Wisconsin River?? Any tips, hot spots, etc would be much appreciated from anyone that knows the area! I'm so nervous about going somewhere I'm not familiar with!! THANKS!!

 

[msojjo]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

Wisconsin river boating is absolutly beautiful. Go to the upper dells, north of the dam in the Dells, i can't explain where the boat launch is but if you get a map you'll have no problem. You'll be going through areas that are a couple hundred feet wide, but the cliffs are great. Just watch your sand bars, don't know what the water level is now.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

^^^^^ I agree! Beautiful area, nice water .

We just had a pretty good storm come through this morning, so water levels should come up a tad. The Baraboo River is quite full, at full bank status. The WI river should come up a bit as well.

Check out this site for river levels if you have not already done so: This gauge is at Portage.

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=mkx&gage=porw3&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1

 

[73Trihull]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

Bring the coats it's going to be October like this weekend.

The water levels may be a tad high but not bad. The resort has it's own launch so no problem there. They rent tons of stuff so check with them on details but generally the sand bars are up stream and the bluffs are down stream. There is a dam a few miles south in Wis Dells. I dont recall if there is a restaurant to stop at down there or not. Right across the river is Stand Rock an nearby is Witches Gulch. Both are cool sights to see. Up stream the river gets shallower and the sand bars are more common. On a busy day you should have no prob finding them. Its a nice stretch to boat on. Make sure to have a sunset cruise the sandstone bluffs are awesome at sunset. Enjoy!

 

[jbruere]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

Thanks for all the tips! We survived the not so great weather and actually only spent about 4 hours on the river. Completely different boating than what we are accostumed to. Beautiful, but a bit stressful. I guess I'm more of a lake/tie up in a cove and relax kinda girl. Live and learn, right!?!? Not too mention the ramp at the campgrounds was.....interesting. Thinking next year we might try Lake Delton instead?? If anyone has any tips on good cabin rentals with lake access I would appreciate it. There are about 16 people total in our group.

 

[73Trihull]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

If you thought the river was interesting stay far far away from Delton! That little lake gets very busy on a nice day. If you like the floating in a cove kind of trip head north about 45 minutes to Castle Rock Lake. Its a flowage of the Wis River, plenty of bays and a few nice eating/drinking spots. Real nice place and even on the busy days it wont feel crowded being as bug as it is.

Lake Map http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/maps/DNR/1345700a.pdf

 

[Cubbyblue22]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

I'm actually thinking about going up around Lake Delton for a nice fishing trip. I've looked on plenty of maps and I cant find what the Lake/River is called that comes south of Castle Rock Lake and runs right along Rt. 13??? It looks like a great size for fishing and boating but I've never been up that way. I think we may stay at a hotel around the Dells and spend a day at Delton then at Mason Lake and then I was hoping to find out about this lake/river. If you could spare any info that would be great, Thank you!!

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

I believe south of Castle Rock Lake is Lake Wisconsin... Very nice boating! Follow the channel buoys...

 

[cityboy]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

clean smooth sailing south to the dam , when you put in at holiday shores dont go across to the other side of the river!!!!and dont go north rocks and sandbars will kill ya . i was out there alone and got hung up on a bar, toasted my 200 offshore mariner. just stay south and you will be good , plenty deep in the cliff's . i have marked water over100 ft on the river. if you have a small boat you can go north but you have to hug the west bankafter ou make the corner there is a rock the size of a vw just past go north on the west side still ater is 2 ft to 13 so you gotta proceed with caution. if you see a idiot going 70mph thru there it is me !!!

 

[WastinGas]

Re: Help with Wisconsin Dells boating...

beware south of the dam. if you driveing anything besides a jet boat your bound to throw your prop. theres cable over head that mark as limits for the rental boats but they also seem to mark good for the rest of us. I went past that with a small V-hull maybe a 1/4 mile and blew the a blade clean off. The folks at the launch said its smooth and deep for miles....Yeah... on a wave runner!