Photo by Tom Berg

It should come as no surprise that Wisconsin sells more non-resident fishing licenses than any other state, given our proximity to two large metropolitan areas to the south and west, not to mention the fabulous natural resources that draw those folks to the Badger State each summer. Those same resources attract Wisconsin residents, too, of course. In fact, there is probably not a corner of our state that doesn't see visitors from nearly every other corner of the state each summer.

For many families, it's not a vacation unless they pack up and go as far as possible. Others are content to drive an hour or less to find their recreation. Whether you head from Kenosha to Superior or just want to get an hour away from home, Wisconsin can accommodate you.

Here's a look at a handful of Wisconsin's favorite vacation getaways. While they differ in location, surroundings and accommodations, they all have two things in common: good fishing and many more options for the non-fishing members of the family.

KETTLE MORAINE STATE FOREST
NORTHERN UNIT
One nice thing about driving to the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest for a family getaway is that the kids start yelling, "Are we there yet?" just about the time you pull off Highway GGG into the Mauthe Lake campground. In less than an hour from downtown Milwaukee, you'll find nearly 30,000 acres of lakes, forests and rolling hills, with miles of hiking trails, campgrounds and more. Two major recreation areas are located at Mauthe Lake and nearby Long Lake. Both offer fishing, swimming, picnicking, and camping, and both welcome pets. Located between the two are special group camping areas, including one that caters to horseback riders.

Mauthe Lake has a well-defined weed edge around its perimeter that attracts a lot of panfish and bass. Live bait suspended on slip-bobbers will catch both and keep the kids happy. The Milwaukee River flows through the lake, and when the river is high enough, you can canoe from New Prospect a mile down to the lake and spot wildlife along the way. A dam at the outlet maintains the lake level. You can also canoe from the dam downstream to New Fane.

Long Lake near Dundee is the largest of the lakes in the state forest at 427 acres. Bluegills, perch, walleyes and bass are common. Try for panfish along the weed edges or suspended over deep water. Weedbeds on several underwater points and humps hold walleyes and bass, along with some northern pike.

The campground at Mauthe Lake has 137 sites, 49 of them with electricity and some accessible to people with disabilities. You can even rent an authentic Plains Indian tepee. Long Lake's campground has more than 200 campsites, flush toilets and showers, but no electrical hookups. There is a boat launch and accessible fishing pier at the campground. There are two private campgrounds on the west shore and several private boat landings. The contact stations at both lakes are open Memorial Day to Labor Day. The Mauthe Lake station telephone number is (262) 626-4305 and Long Lake's is (920) 533-8612. To reserve campsites at these or any state campgrounds, call 1-888-947-2757 or visit www.reserveamerica.com/client/client_wi.jsp.

The Henry S. Reuss Ice Age Visitor Center is a good jumping-off point for a hike in the forest. Naturalists there provide entertaining educational programs throughout the year. For information, log on to www.dnr.state.wi.us and search for "Kettle Moraine."