The Alma Fishing Float is anchored just below Lock & Dam No. 4. A ferry shuttles anglers to and from the float from a dock in Alma. The float itself consists of a number of rafts securely connected together and buoyed by pontoons. A railing provides a measure of safety and a handy place to secure a rod holder. There are benches, restrooms, a bait and tackle shop, and a café that serves lunch and breakfast. You can rent tackle and have your fish cleaned for a small fee. And you can even rent a room right on the float and fish all night if you desire. Something is always biting here, and you could catch a nice mess of crappies, bluegills and white bass, or a meal or two of walleyes, saugers or catfish.

You can camp a few miles downriver at Merrick State Park, which is located on 322 acres with 67 campsites, 15 electric sites, showers, a handicapped-accessible picnic area, campsites and more. Many campsites have river access, so you can bring a boat or fish right from shore. The park also has three miles of hiking trails, canoe rentals, two boat launches and a nature center that offers seasonal naturalist programs.

Contacts: Alma Fishing Float, (608) 685-3786, or online at AlmaFishingFloat.com; Merrick State Park, (608) 687-4936, or Dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks.

CASTLE ROCK FLOWAGE
One of two large flowages on the Wisconsin River in central Wisconsin, Castle Rock offers a variety of fishing opportunities and much more.

Buckhorn State Park -- located on the peninsula where the flowage's two arms meet -- has a beach, group and backpacking campsites, hiking and nature trails, and summer programs for kids.

The Yellow River arm of the flowage has great fishing for white bass, crappies, bluegills, perch and walleyes. Look for panfish near the fish cribs off the state park shoreline, and walleyes in the river channel and near wood structure along both banks. You can also explore the many side channels and inlets by canoe.

Two county parks, numerous boat landings, several marinas, resorts, motels and other services provide everything you will need.

Contacts: Buckhorn State Park, (608) 565-2789 or Dnr.state.wi. us/org/land/parks; Castle Rock-Petenwell Lakes Association, (608) 565-7112 or CastleRockPetenwell.com

CHEQUAMEGON BAY
Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay is an immense summer playground, with boating, camping, fishing, hiking and much more to offer. Served by the cities of Ashland, Washburn and Bayfield, the bay area has everything a family could want for a chilled-out summer vacation.

Fishing opportunities range from pier-fishing for perch to charter fishing for trout and salmon. All three cities have public fishing piers. My favorite is located in Washburn's West End Park. When we lived outside of Washburn years ago, son Jon and I spent many an afternoon catching perch and northerns here.

If you have your own boat, you can work the nearshore waters off Washburn, Barksdale or Ashland for perch, walleyes or smallmouths. Area guides will take you out after the bay's monster smallies with fly or spinning tackle. Several charter boats offer half-day and full-day trips on the lake for salmon, lake trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. Within a half-hour of the bay, dozens of inland trout streams await the serious trouters in your family.

Numerous motels and bed-and-breakfasts serve the area, and there are good restaurants in all three cities. The Madeline Island Ferry can take you to the largest of the Apostle Islands for a change-of-pace meal, camping excursion or round of golf. The biggest off-water attraction, however, is in the big blue tent at the foot of Mt. Ashwabay, where the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua presents headliner entertainment and locally produced shows by Warren Nelson and a very talented troupe of actors and musicians. Riverpants, Showpants, Riding the Wind and Nelson's other shows will knock your socks off.