Entering Otter Lake shortly after launch
Otter Lake
The channel back to Otter Lake
Leaving Otter Lake and looking at the sign marking the entrance
The end of Taylor Lake looking towards Rainbow Lake. Government Island is to the left.
Looking east at Taylor Lake after entering Rainbow Lake
Rainbow Lake looking at Onaway Island
The Wisconsin Veterans Home
Entering Nessling Lake
Looking east at Rainbow Lake
Nessling Lake looking west to McCrossen Lake
McCrossen Lake
Turtles at a resort
Entering Round Lake
East view of McCrossen Lake
Round Lake looking north
Paddling towards Lime Kiln Lake which starts past the buoy
Entering Columbia Lake
Looking east towards Lime Kiln Lake and the County Q bridge
Looking south on Columbia Lake
The channel to Dake and Miner Lakes
Cleghorn Rd Bridge
Entering Dake Lake
Dake Lake looking south
Entering Miner Lake
Looking north at Miner Lake
Looking at the South Bay in Miner Lake
Entering Dake Lake again
Great water clarity
Looking southwest in Dake Lake
Colombia Lake paddling west
Entering Long Lake
Looking east at the beginning of Columbia Lake
Looking towards Long Cove
Looking south at Long Lake. The Crystal River flows out at the south end. This lake is the least friendly to kayakers as boats speed up and down this lake more than any other lake on the chain.
Paddling towards Beasley Lake
Entering Beasley Lake–all lakes are no wake from this point forward
Looking east at Long Lake
Beasley Lake
Bass Lake
The channel to Young Lake and Whispering Pines Rd bridge
Young Lake
Small creek flows from Ottman Lake
Looking southwest on Young Lake
Entering Beasley Creek which connects the upper and lower lakes. The creek is too shallow to paddle
Whispering Pines Rd. Bridge over Beasley Creek
Great water clarity
Water deep enough to paddle again
Entering Lake Orlando
Looking towards Beasley Creek
Canada geese gathering on a shallow part of Lake Orlando
Entering Knight Lake
Knight Lake
The channel to Manomin Lake
Manomin Lake entrance and Knight Lane Bridge
Looking back towards Knight Lake
Manomin Lake
Paddling towards Pope Lake
Pope Lake
Channel to Marl Lake
Excellent water clarity when entering Marl Lake
Marl Lake
Take-out at Marl Lake Rd. This is the most popular kayak launch–parking is very challenging
Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes
The Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes are some of the most pristine lakes in the entire state. The water is extremely clear and the lakes are surrounded by great scenery, especially the Upper Lakes. The lakes are fairly easy to paddle, and you can choose how long or short you want your trip to be and can either start/finish at the same spot, or start and finish at different launches. Admittedly, Rainbow, Round, Columbia, and Long Lakes aren’t as pleasant to kayak with boats speeding up and down the lakes. The remaining lakes have no wake ordinances and the upper lakes do not have any powerboats at all.
This trip started at the Taylor Lake Ramp since the wind was blowing west. Shortly after launching, there is an inlet to Otter Lake. After paddling Otter Lake, the trip continued west into Rainbow Lake, one of the bigger lakes on the chain. The water became more choppy due to multiple boats speeding and pulling tubes or water skiers.
After Rainbow Lake, the water gets narrower and it’s back to no wake when passing through Nessling and McCrossen Lake. After Brown’s Point the trip continues into Round Lake which allows wake, and Limekiln Lake which does not allow wake. There is a fairly narrow and busy channel below County Q and by the Indian Crossing Casino, a popular bar and grill.
After the channel is Columbia Lake which is once again busy with boaters. The trip headed south to a channel that connects with Dake and Minor Lakes. Both lakes were a lot quieter and very pleasant to paddle. They’re both no wake which deters a lot of powerboats, although they are allowed at low speeds.
The trip continued through Columbia Lake into Long Lake, which is the headwaters for the Crystal River. The lake is extremely busy and has a lot of wake from speeding boaters.
After Long Lake, there is a channel to Beasley, Bass and Young Lake. Beasley and Bass are very calm. At the north end of Bass Lake there is a narrow channel to Young Lake, which is a small but peaceful lane.
After visiting Young’s Lake, the trip proceeded to Beasley Creek, which is very clear but shallow and kayaks have to be walked. Beasley Creek connects the upper and lower lakes. At the end of the creek is Lake Orlando, the first of the Upper Lakes heading west and the best lake to paddle in the chain. The shores become more undeveloped as the state owns most of the shoreline.
After Orlando Lake is Knight Lake, a channel that leads to Manomin Lake, Pope Lake, and the most popular upper lake, Marl Lake.
Although the water is mostly clear throughout the chain, the water clarity is near perfect on the upper lakes. The mostly natural shorelines combined with no motorboat traffic creates the perfect environment for paddlers. The forests along the shores add to a picture perfect setting.
The Waupaca Chain O’ Lakes are the finest set of lakes in Central Wisconsin and are very enjoyable to kayak. If you’re looking for a leisurely paddle at your own pace with terrific scenery and crystal clear water, these are the lakes that you definitely want to check out!
Thanks Peter for the review! WisconsinRiverTrips.com is always very appreciative of guest reviews, and if you the reader is ever interested in submitting one, you can use this online form.
Note, not all the lake names are shown correctly on Google Maps. Readers may want to use the following map instead as a visual reference. The Crystal River is located just downstream from the Chain O’ Lakes and is also good for kayaking.
Trip Map
Overview Map
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