Wisconsin Recreation Facts
Facts and figures don't do justice to Wisconsin's water resources, but they do offer a glimpse into these tremendous glacial gifts. What's most amazing? Wisconsin lakes and rivers belong to everybody!
A wily (or cunning) walleye.
Fish & Fishing
Wisconsin waters are home to 159 fish species in 27 families; 145 of these species are native to the state and 14 are introduced non-native species. Read more fishing facts and visit our Fishing Wisconsin Web pages for information on regulations and current issues.
Boating
Wisconsin has more than 575,000 registered boats – about one for every ten residents. That number has nearly doubled since 1969, when Wisconsin had 303,000 registered boats. Wisconsin has an estimated 325,000 non-motorized boats, about 75 percent of which are canoes and kayaks.
Boats plying Wisconsin waters are getting bigger. More than 40 percent of the registered boats in 1997–98 were between 16 and 39 feet long, compared to just 18 percent 20 years earlier.
Time to apply for your 2008 boat registration, it expires each year on March 31st.
The number of Wisconsin residents seven years old and up who canoe at least once a year has stayed stable for several years at about 400,000 while the number of people kayaking at least once a year has increased to about 25,000, according to the National Sporting Goods Association.
About 6 percent of Wisconsin's residents sail.
Other Water Related Recreation
Wisconsin has more than 170 public beaches along Lake Michigan.
Swimming ranks third, behind walking for pleasure and driving for pleasure, as Wisconsin residents' favorite outdoor activity. Nearly 60 percent say they go swimming, according to survey results from the University of Wisconsin Survey Center and the National Sporting Goods Association.
About 18 percent of the population ice skate, about five percent water ski, and about two percent snorkel, according to the National Sporting Goods Association estimates for Wisconsin.
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