Water is the key ingredient for the recipe to bring boating, swimming and fishing to life. Water is powerful, but yet relaxing all at the same time. Many of us are drawn to water because of what it can offer. It can be refreshing and fun but it can also have a mind of its own. Water lovers will find plenty of opportunities in Marathon County to take advantage of the great feeling water can bring.
Lake DuBay
This 6,800 acre lake is in the center of the state between Wausau and Stevens Point. Lake DuBay is a breathtaking, recreational area and a popular destination for boating, swimming and fishing. On a summer day you will find families and friends playing volleyball or frisbee in the water, waterskiing, tubing, fishing or just hanging out on the shore at one of the restaurants or campgrounds around the lake.
Lake Wausau
Winding around the southern part of Wausau to the western section of the city of Schofield, Lake Wausau is one of the best fisheries in the state. Public boat landings in a number of locations offer easy access.
On the western shore, in the town of Rib Mountain, Bluegill Bay Park, a 68-acre scenic park of interconnected islands, designed with families in mind. The park offers multiple boat ramps, open shelters and a shoreline. DC Everest Park, at the south end of Wausau's 3rd Avenue, offers a boat landing and is the home of the Wausauqua Water-Ski shows in the summer.
Wisconsin River
One of the top whitewater courses in the United States is located in Downtown Wausau on the Wisconsin River. This water-controlled course is open May through September and is host to national and world-class kayak competitions each summer. Wausau Kayak/Canoe Corporation based out of Whitewater Park in Downtown Wausau, is one of the top whitewater programs in the United States.
The Wisconsin River is also a prime fishing spot for muskie, northern pike, walleye and small-mouthed bass anglers.
Big Rib River
The Big Rib River originates in Taylor County near Rib Falls but soon enters the upper reaches of Marathon County, being fed by smaller creeks as it eventually finds Lake Wausau. During the heyday of lumbering in Marathon County, the Big Rib River was one of the powerhouse streams that worked hard to give energy to the sawmills and grist mills of small communities such as Marathon City and Rib Falls.
Today, the Big Rib River is described as "rich and pristine". The fish population changes with the depth and flow of the river. Muskie, small-mouthed bass, northern pike and walleye can be found in the Big Rib River.
Big Eau Pleine Resevoir
Big Eau Pleine Park covers more than 2,000 acres of woodland peninsula on the north shore of the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir. Most of the land is undeveloped, supporting, whitetail deer, black bear, raccoon and partridge. Amenities include three boat landings, a swimming beach, nine miles of hiking and biking trails, picnic tables, picnic shelters, outhouses, tent sites, trailer sites, dressing rooms, nature trails, cross-country skiing and a playground.
Eau Claire River
Dells of the Eau Claire Park features a rock gorge carved by the continuous rush of the Eau Claire River rapids and creates a wild and scenic backdrop for camping, hiking and picnicking. A quieter stretch of river away from the rapids and falls is used as a swimming area.
The Dells of Eau Claire has been preserved as a state natural area. The park's name might confuse those trying to locate it. This is not "the Dells" that are so well-known in Wisconsin; those Dells are located on the Wisconsin River. The Dells of Eau Claire are located on the Eau Claire River, just east of Wausau in Marathon County, which operates the campground, trails and swimming beach. Visitors will also see rock formations surrounded by cascading water and unusual plants.
Written by Karen Nerison, Marketing Director, Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce for Central Times Relocation Magazine
