Lake Tichigan in Wisconsin

by  guest-paddler

A self-supported trip created by guest-paddler

Trip Overview

We started our trip at Fox River Landing (FRL), a canoe rental and shuttle service, and paid a fair rate for the boat and shuttle. Jim, the gentleman who took us to the put it is a character to behold- Very unique (at least to us northern Illinois types).

From FRL (near Lake Tichigan Public Landing), there are three options for put ins. Short one is about 3-4 hour paddle from Big Bend, WI back to FRL. Medium length one is about a 4-5 hour paddle with a put in at Center Drive. Longest run is from Mukwonago back to FRL and is about a 14 mile paddle. Jim thought the long trip from Mukwonago might be difficult due to low water in the Mukwonago area.

We put in at Center Drive where there is a public launch made of slippery gravel on the southwest side of the bridge. Took a very lazy paddle (including about 45 minutes of stops) back to FRL in about 5 hours. The river has virtually no current, particularly on the stretch from Big Bend back to Lake Tichigan. Certainly we encounter nothing like rapids, or even riffles.

There are no dams and we encountered no other hazards.

It's a very windy river that flows through mostly marshy areas, but also farmland, woodland, occasional houses can be seen, you also pass a golf course at on area. Overall, very nice and scenic.

From the put it, we saw only one other boat on the river for the entire ~9 miles we paddled. It was a very quiet day on the river, and we really enjoyed it. We saw many birds, including little blue heron, great blue heron, and a pair of sandhill cranes, kingfishers, swallows, martins, red winged black birds, and unidentifiable hawks. We also encountered several fish jumping, a muskrat, and deer.

I suspect there would typically be more river traffic had it not been a cool and overcast Friday. Jim mentioned there may be an occasion jet ski (traffic from Lake Tichigan?), but we saw or heard none.

Outfitting:

Fox River Landing: 262-662-5690

Fees:

$35 rental including shuttle.

Directions:

From IL

94N

WI 20 west

Right on WI 36 (toward Milwaukee)

North (left) on WI 164

Left on N. Lake Drive (turn at the red-roofed gas station)

Cross bridge over river, and turn left into Jim and Evons FRL.

Takes about an hour and half to get there from Chicago

Resources:

Mike Svob's Paddling Southern Wisconsin- can offer more details.

Trip Details

  • Trip Duration: Day Trip
  • Sport/Activity: Kayaking, Canoeing
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Water Type: River/Creek (Up to Class II)

Trip Location