YELLOWSTONE LAKE
A dam on the Yellowstone River in Lafayette County formed this 450-acre flowage, one of the few lakes, manmade or natural, in the unglaciated southwest corner of Wisconsin. The lake is mainly shallow, with plenty of fallen trees to provide shoreline cover. Its dark waters hide fish, so be prepared for a strike at any time. The DNR stocks muskies here annually, and there are good numbers of them ranging up to 50 inches. Special regulations prohibit the keeping of game fish here, so you have a good chance of tying into a good muskie.

A state park surrounds the lake, and there are campsites, hiking trails, picnic areas and several boat launches. Two private campgrounds nearby handle the overflow of campers from the state park.

For further information, contact the Darlington Main Street Program at (608) 776-3067 or online at www.darlington wi.org , or Yellowstone Lake State Park at (608) 523-4427. For camping reservations, call (888) WI-PARKS, or go to www.reserveamerica.com/usa/wi/yell

(Editor’s Note: For more information on Wisconsin fishing, catch the author’s weekly radio show, “Outdoors with Dan Small and Judy Nugent,” on broadcast stations throughout the state and available as a podcast at www.lake-link.com , and www.iTunes.com .)