Canoe/Kayak Routes

Northern Wisconsin Canoeing, Kayaking and Paddling

Welcome to the northern Wisconsin!  Home to 2,300 bodies of fresh water, the highest concentration in the world.

We are also home to the North Highland-American Legion State Forest. The NH-AL is the largest state forest in Wisconsin with 225,00 acres, 18 family campgrounds and 130 canoe and remotecampsites.

The NH-AL is a heaven for paddlers, with 68 lakes designated as "Wilderness", "Wild" or "Scenic".

Wilderness Lakes are primarily forested with an undeveloped shoreline.  Lakes are maintained in an undeveloped condition and without significant signs of human influence for recreational, ecological and habitat values. 

On Wild Lakes human influence on the lake or its surrounding lands is not conspicuous.  The shore-lands are primarily forested.  The lakes are essentially undeveloped, other than primitive campsites and no structures are visible from the water.

Scenic Lakes preserve the present use, but designate a 400-foot scenic management zone surrounding each lake. 

WILDERNESS LAKES

The Wilderness Lake shorelines are primarily forested, the forest composition varying with the site characteristics and the area's management history. Each lake has an undeveloped shoreline, with no structures, except primitive campsites, within 1⁄4 mile. The lake and its shoreline within 1⁄4 mile, or to the visual horizon if it is further, are passively managed. Public motor vehicle use for lake access and all recreational uses are not allowed.

Six Wilderness Lakes

• • Opportunity to maintain the lakes in an undeveloped condition and without significant signs of human influence for recreational, ecological, and habitat values.
• • Conservation of wetland habitats for rare species.
• • Within 1⁄4 mile, passive forest management and no motor use.
• • On lakes where camping is appropriate, construct and maintain primitive campsites at locations that are out of sight and sound of other campsites to provide a high level of solitude.

Lake Names

• • Brush Lake – 33 acres
• • Clear Lake – 62 acres
• • Kelly Lake – 32 acres
• • Lake Alva – 23 acres
• • Toy Lake – 70 acres
• • Woodson Lake – 27 acres

WILD LAKES

Thirty-three lakes are designated as Wild Lakes.  On Wild Lakes human influence on the lake or its surrounding lands is not conspicuous. The shore-lands are primarily forested, the composition varying with the site characteristics and the area's management history.

The lakes and their shore- lines, within 400 feet or to the visual horizon from the lake if that is further, are natural appearing without signs of management.

Thirty-three Wild Lakes

• • Maintain the lakes in an undeveloped condition without conspicuous signs of human influence for quiet, low-impact recreation, and ecological and habitat values.
• • Conservation of wetland habitats for rare species.
• • Passive management within 400 feet of the lake, and only non-motorized use of the lake.

Lake Name

• • Benedict Lake  - 26 acres
• • Bittersweet Lake – 103 acres
• • Bug Lake – 19 acres
• • Devine Lake – 95 acres
• • Du Page Lake – 32 acres
• • East Ellerson Lake  - 136 acres
• • Frog Lake – 42 acres
• • Hawk Lake – 10 acres
• • Helen Lake – 12 acres
• • Inpot Lake – 14 acres
• • Island Lake – 17 acres
• • Johnson Lake – 24 acres
• • Little Cloud Lake – 10 acres
• • Max Lake – 24 acres
• • Mud Lake – 56 acres
• • Norway Pine Lake – 30 acres
• • Oberlin Lake – 42 acres
• • Prong Lake – 31 acres
• • Salsich Lake – 48 acres
• • Smith Lake – 41 acres
• • Swanson Lake – 21 acres
• • Unnamed lake east of Lumen Lake – 7 acres
• • Unnamed lake east of Bittersweet Lake – 5 acres
• • Unnamed lake south of Rainbow Flowage – 13 acres
• • Unnamed lake north of Big Lake – 10 acres
• • Unnamed lake west of Round Lake – 15 acres
• • Unnamed lake southeast of White Sand Lake – 20 acres
• 3 small unnamed lakes around East Ellerson Lake – 19, 10, 8 acres
• 3 small unnamed lakes west of Swanson Lake – 9, 5 4 acres

SCENIC LAKES

Due to a statewide policy change that tightened the criteria for allowable uses on designated wilderness and wild lakes, several NH-AL lakes that were designated under the 1982 plan no longer qualify for designation without changing their long established pattern of use. Under the revised forest plan they will be assigned a classification that fits their current conditions; thus, allowing all of the present uses and similar management objectives to continue.

Sixteen of these lakes fall within Native Community Management Areas that will have limited or no forest management in order to protect the natural scenic values of the lakeshore.

To continue the high level of shoreline protection, the shoreline of the remaining 29 lakes will be classified as scenic lake zones. A 400-foot scenic management zone, similar to the wild lake management zone, will surround each lake.

Twenty-nine Scenic Lakes

• • Maintain and enhance the natural appearing and generally undeveloped landscape of each lake.
• • Maintain the existing level and type of public access and use of the lake and adjacent shoreline.
• • Manage the forest within the scenic management zone (that area within 400 feet of the lake shore) to favor a mixed composition of species with emphasis on larger, longer-lived trees.

Lake Name

• • Blueberry Lake
• • Deadman Lake
• • Dorothy Dunn Lake
• • Eloise Lake
• • Emerald Lake
• • Fallison Lake
• • Firefly Lake
• • Frank Lake
• • Fox Lake
• • Hemlock Lake
• • Jean Lake
• • Little Bass Lake
• • Little John Jr. Lake
• • Little Rock Lake
• • Lone Tree Lake
• • Maple Lake
• • McNaughton Lake
• • Otto Meilke Lake
• • Partridge Lake
• • Shannon Lake
• • Trilby Lake
• • Turtle Lake
• • Wildwood Lake
• • Zottle Lake
• • 4 Un-named lakes north of White Sand lake Un-named (aka Long Lake)

The Wisconsin DNR has put together some trips along the Manitowish River in the NH-AL State Forest.

The Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest offers canoeists the opportunity to camp along rivers and lakes at designated canoe campsites. There are currently over 70 sites on the State Forest. All campsites have a picnic table and fire ring. Sites are numbered and marked with yellow signs displaying a tepee. Portages are designated by yellow signs with crossed paddles.

NH-AL State Forest Canoe Route Guide and Map (PDF)

Trip 1: High Lake to Fishtrap Dam

Put-in at the High Lake boat landing on the south side of Hwy. B. The small creek leads to High Lake. Travel southwest through a culvert into Fishtrap Lake. Once through Fishtrap, the river meanders past Johnson and Nixon tributary creeks. Take out at the portage just upstream from the Fishtrap Dam. The 7.5 mile segment could be a day trip or an overnight trip. Total paddling time is 4 hours.

NH-AL Trip 1 (PDF)

Trip 2: Fishtrap Dam to Highway K

Take Hwy. M north of Boulder Junction and turn on High-Fishtrap Road. Stay to the right which is Dam Road. Put in below the dam that is downstream from the boat landing. The take-out is 6.1 miles at the boat landing just upstream from Hwy. K. Paddling time is 3 hours. This could be a day or overnight trip.

NH-AL Trip 2 (PDF)

Trip 3: Highway K to Highway 51

Put-in for this segment is just below the rapids on Hwy. K. This segment is 15.5 miles and 8 hours of paddling. Allow several days for this trip. A short portage for the ten foot dam at Rest Lake and Hwy. W is required. Take out where the Manitowish River and Hwy. 51 intersect. For a shorter trip (4 hrs.) take out at the Island Lake boat landing.

NH-AL Trip 3 (PDF)

Trip 4: Highway 51 to Murray's Landing

The last segment begins below the Hwy. 51 bridge and runs 17 miles. A USGS topographic map is recommended for this trip as the river flows into the Flambeau Flowage, but not directly to Murray's Landing. Allow at least an overnight stay for this trip. Paddling time is 12 hours. Taking out at the Hwy. 51 Wayside or the Hwy. 47 bridge can shorten this segment. Once past the Hwy. 47 bridge there is no take out until Murray's Landing. Allow 8 hours paddling time for the Hwy. 47 to Murray's Landing segment.

NH-AL Trip 4 (PDF)

Trip 5: White Sand to Trout River Trip

This trip begins at White Sand Lake north of Hwy. K. Travel south across a portage from White Sand to Lost Canoe. From Lost Canoe, portage into Pallette. Pallette Lake has three portages. The portage to Stevenson Springs keeps you on the route to Trout Lake. The portage to Escanaba can be a side trip. Escanaba Lake is 100% state owned and a beautiful place to paddle. Be aware that Escanaba and Pallette are research lakes and no fishing is allowed without a permit. Permits must be returned by the end of each day. Staying on the route and portaging to Stevenson springs will bring you to a sand road. Pull over on this road to a small creek which flows to the North Trout Campground and boat landing. Beaver dams will be located along this stretch. The White Sand to North Trout Campground section of this route can be used as a day or overnight trip. From South Trout Lake, take the Trout River which passes through Wild Rice, Alder, and Manitowish Lakes. Paddling north of Manitowish Lake and under the Hwy. 51 bridge into Spider allows you to connect with the Manitowish River Trip. There are a total of three portages on this route. The total distance is 19 miles but can be divided into smaller routes.

NH-AL Trip 5 (PDF)

Trip 6: Wisconsin River Trip, Cloverland Drive to Bridge Road

The put-in for this trip is just below the Cloverland Dam off Cloverland Road, west of Eagle River south of Hwy. 70. There are three sites along 20 miles of River. Each site is separated by fairly long stretches of river. The first site is on the south shore of the river just east of a wide shallow open water area. The next site is downstream of the Rainbow Reservoir just below Rainbow Rapids. If you wish to make this trip shorter you can pull out at Newbold Memorial Park, located on the left side of the river just downstream from the River Road bridge. The third and southernmost site is just downstream of the confluence of the Horsehead creek. The river is approximately 100 feet wide here with sweeping current. Take out is at Fredrich Landing, located on the right, just downstream of the double set of bridges on Bridge Road near McNaughton. Motors are allowed on this stretch but will most likely be concentrated on the Rainbow Flowage. A Rainbow Flowage map and a good topographical map are suggested for this route.

NH-AL Trip 6 (PDF)

All information is sourced from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.