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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion |
Just wanted to know your top 3 lakes to chase Muskies on, and are the muskies the only reason you love these lakes ??
Mine are: Vermilion
Cave Run
LeachLake/The Chip/LOTW........ Third is really hard for me.
Jerome |
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Posts: 1057
Location: Medford, WI | Great topic Jerome! Kind of ironic that our top lake choice is the same! These are my top three and the reasoning behind each...
1. Vermilion - GREAT fishing, the lake/area/people are just awesome, and structure-wise I absolutely love it. (Plus, herons really take a liking to me out there...)
2. Crow Lake (Ontario) - Being able to see 20+ feet down into the water is amazing to me and actually being able to drink water straight from the lake is a plus! The fish in Crow are really unique looking as well and there are some dandies in there! It's hard for me to leave Crow, to cross the road and fish LOTW.
3. Small Wisconsin Lakes where it's hard to get your boat in/out and where you can almost guarantee you won't see another boat. One requirement - There can't be any development on the lake (rare, but yes they do exist).
I think if I went to Cave Run in the summer or fall, that would probably easily take #3, but I've been there twice in the spring and it's snowed/froze on us both times! It's awesome scenery around there when the trees are bare, so I can only imagine it in the fall.
Jerome, wanna PM me your mailing address - I have a few things to send you. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Pineview
Newton
Mantua |
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| Lake X east coast, Lake X midwest, and Lake X mountain west....:) |
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Posts: 128
| Same thing- small Wisconsin Lakes that nobody bothers with=you WI guys are lucky as hell! Tons of no pressure fisheries.
Minneapolis Tiger lakes= not much pressure.
Mille Lacs- random stupid spots that don't see lures ever. |
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Posts: 1185
Location: Wishin I Was Fishin' | 1. LOTW - I haven't had great success there but it holds a very special place in my heart.
2. Green Bay and not just by the city of, because of success, potential and it's close to home.
3. A certain lake in Vilas that will remain X but is no big secret. Jon and I had a 7 fish casting day there in 2007.
Edited by Jomusky 11/26/2008 7:05 AM
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | LOTW, once its in your blood...forget it.
Pelican, a lot of the same characteristics as LOTW, probably why I like them both so much.
Three Lakes Chain just because I can mention that one and I can't mention the names of about 10 others that came to mind.  |
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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | 1. Vermilion
2. Webster/Cave Run
3. Cisco Chain
There are a lot more considering I'm new at this but right now those are my top 3. |
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Posts: 247
| Mine are:
1. LOTW - I have been spending a week up there for the last (8) years, I like it so much I am going to spend (2) in 2009.
2. Deer Lake in Polk County, the lake where I learned how to catch a fish on the Figure 8. It used to show a lot of fish, slowed down a few years ago but is starting to pick back up the last couple.
3. Twin Valley, this little lake is quiet and secluded, nice to be out there and see the beautiful scenery while casting for toothy critters.
Steve Ruhmann |
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Posts: 198
| 1. Ontario Lake X - no development, no pressure, beautiful scenry and big fish.
2. Ontario Lake XX Same as above.
3. LOW Big enough to lose the crowds.
Spend the majority of my time on Vermilion though as it is only 10 miles from home. If I had to drive 200 or more miles I would head to 1-3, that's where I take my vacations. |
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Posts: 281
Location: ROckford IL | 1. Vermillion
2. LOTW
3.Twin valley |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | I'll add some tips to mine 
1.) Rowan Lake Ontario - Caught my first (15yrs ago), biggest, and most in one day there. Plus I caught a 40lbs snapping turtle on film there.
Tips: Try Lost bay (clear to stained water) & try the southern end Fog Lake. Beware of noisy beaver.
2.)Pipestone Lake Ontario - Big clear trout water (20 ft visibility). Very slow fishing, but very few boats. Plus if i get board, the smallie fishing is amazing.
Tips: Rock walls 50ft high and in 50 ft of water hold tons of fish in the middle of summer. Look to Big/Huge rock/weed point or flats. Smaller structure didn't hold much
3.) Woman Lake - MN - Ugly lake, but i have had good luck on it.
Tips: Slow the baits down and go little deeper. Look for Rock/weed combo. |
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Posts: 469
Location: Downers Grove, IL | 1. Eagle
2. Mille Lacs
3. LOTW |
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Location: Des Moines IA | nwild - 11/26/2008 6:27 AM
Three Lakes Chain just because I can mention that one and I can't mention the names of about 10 others that came to mind. ;)
LMAO ....... We should have went there in the snow that Sunday after PI!!!! Kicking myself for just going home!
Edited by MuskieMike 11/26/2008 9:24 AM
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Posts: 1057
Location: Medford, WI | Are we really going to post Lake X as our top three lakes to fish. I understand not wanting to tell a person where you're fishing to avoid more boats; however, isn't the whole point of this post to actually name three lakes that you enjoy fishing on. I guess I kind of look at this post as possible places to visit/fish in the future.
Anyways, I have class....Jake |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | I have 4
1) A lake with fish
2) A lake with big fish
3) A lake with hungry big fish
4) A lake with stupid hungry big fish
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Posts: 138
Location: Utah | Pineview: Tiger Muskies and Black Crappie
Willard: Walleyes and Wipers the middle line backers of bass fish'n (combo white bass and stripped bass) that will give you a fight!!
Mantua: Perch and Blue Gill |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | I'd have to say all Wisco lakes since I pretty much only fish Wiso.
1. Flambeau Chain
2. Okauchee
3. Mani Chain
I love getting my butt kicked on the Flambeau Chain, but I'm finally starting to figure it out and get some confidence. The potential for a giant and my inlaws living on it are bonuses.
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| lac seul
lake of the wood's
eagle |
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Posts: 661
Location: Roscoe IL | LOTW
Mohawksin
Wisconsin River
Mad Chain
Squirrel
Big Chip
Boom
Cresent
Hell, I like em all..
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Posts: 214
Location: Central Iowa | LOTW...there's just something about place
Vermillion...fished it for the first time this year and will definitely be back again
Crow...the scenery and clear water is awesome and as mentioned before the fish have a unique look to them out of there. |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | Osbourne Bay
Vermilion on a week day
The Chip/ Waubesa
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Pelican and other surrounding lakes
Wabigoon
Vermillion |
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Posts: 484
Location: St. Louis, MO., Marco Is., FL, Nestor Falls, ON | LOTW: 56 years and now spend 4 months each summer living on the lake
Crow: Only have to go across the road. Special lake, so clear and big muskies.
Katamiagamak: Clear like Crow, but smaller and fly-in only. Some big fish. |
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Posts: 4266
| Cass Lake
The 25 mile perimeter around Phelps, WI.
Vermillion, and I was only there once. Can't wait to learn more about it. |
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Posts: 743
| Winnipeg River
Eagle
Big Lake |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | Don`t have a top 3,but kinkaid would be on my all time top 3. |
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| I do not get to travvel very often so I prefer:
1) Southeast section of Lac Seul
2) Big Vermilion Lake
3) Little Vermilion Lake
all fish able in the same day... I would be willing to trade trips with someone sometime.
Neil Michelin |
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | Vermilion: Seen more BIG fish in one trip to hook me for life.
LOTW: Lots of fish of all sizes, and great scenery, plus the mystique of LOTW.
Deer: Seen and caught more fish in one day then any lake Ive ever been on. 9 in the boat 1 day. 30 follows that day too. |
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Posts: 267
Location: Lake City,Pa. | 1 Chautauqua Lake NY, Lots of numbers and size. 2 Lake Erie (The Bay at Erie Pa.) , Possible state record or world, hit and miss numbers. 3 Kinzua Dam, Deep large inland lake very tough to fish but has to hold some monsters. |
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | I have not fished many Musky Lakes, but favorites are:
Cave Run lake
Greenwood Lake (New Jersey ... this one's a sleeper to outsiders, with lots of big ones)
Melton Hill Reservoir (Oak Ridge, TN)
Edited by cjrich 11/27/2008 12:53 PM
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| LOTW/ Eagle/ Lac SeuL |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Eagle Lake
Canyon lake
Flambeau River |
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Posts: 468
Location: Not where I wanna be! | hmmmm
i like lakes where i can see my lure in the water....
i like lakes where i can see fish....
i like lakes where i can occasionally catch fish.....
so basically i dont know what im talking about...
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Posts: 136
| LSC/Ottawa/Vermillion for musky
Kona/Costa Rica/Panama for the bigguns |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | These are not numbers lakes- clear water with cisco forage base. These are my top three.
1. Katamiagamak(Kay), Nestor Falls, Ontario - flyin. Definitely my favorite big fish lake. Lots of structure, some nice weed beds, very little pressure. The flyin operator has two cabins on this lake- the point cabin is modern chalet style with great morning & evening views.. The island cabin is older but has eveything you need, including hot shower, etc. Only two private cabins & they don't fish muskies. Also has some outstanding smallies and lake trout..... 150' deep at the deepest spot we've found. In late Sept 2006- My buddy Mike Hofmann & I put 17 fish into the net-largest was just shy of 50".
2. Kagagi (Crow), Nestor Falls, Ontario. Another beautiful big fish lake. I love fishing this lake, it's awesome.
3. Cass (Minnesota)- Cass has it all -clear water - structure- more structure - weeds- reeds - oh yeah and big fish. Walleyes are also pretty nice size.
Big fish = Fish that are big enough that you may not want one in the boat with you because you or someone else might get seriously hurt.
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Wabigoon, LOTW, Pelican.
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Location: Illinois | Cass Lake, Kinkaid Lake, Big Sissabagama |
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| eagle lake
boom flowage
lake tomahawk |
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| I see many references to a Pelican lake in this thread. Is this a Minnesota or Wisconsin Lake? Thanks. |
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Posts: 61
Location: Sioux Lookout On Canada | Or Pelican Lake out of Sioux Lookout Ontario Canada... because if that is the case, I have been trying to catch one here.
neil Michelin
Lac Seul Fish Fry
Canadian Heartland Fishing
Host of Cry of the Loon Fishing Adventures on APTN |
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| they are referring to Pelican by Rhinelander, WI. |
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Posts: 550
Location: So. Illinois | Kinkaid (Illinois)
Vermilion
Cass
Not necessarily in that order......... |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Vermilion
Minnetonka
Mille Lacs |
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Posts: 371
Location: On the River | The Wisconsin River
LOTW
Vermilion |
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Posts: 1451
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | LOTW---spiritually better for the soul than anyplace south of the border...easy to get lost away from other boats...so many, many, great looking spots...the fish actually act like you read about in the magazine articles...just plain great...dreamed about it last night.
VERMIN--never seen so darned many BIG fish in 20 square yards at one time!---never seen so darned many BIG boats in 20 square yards at one time!
REMOTE WI Lakes--just to get away |
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | Lake Wausau - close to home
Green Bay - trolling experience
Vermillion - b/c you're never alone if you break down |
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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | catching fish wise top 3 would be
Indian Lake Chain- Vermillion Bay Ontario
Lost land Lake
Kentuck Lake
Scenery wise
Indian Lake Chain
The Chip
Remote little Presque Isle area lake |
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Location: Windy City | Eagle Lake
Lake Vermillion
Lake X on the Vilas /Oneida county border. Cuz thats where it all started for me. Fish muskies during the day and go to Weasels at night. Thats the ticket!
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Posts: 130
Location: Chicago | 1.North Star in Mn. 2.Little Green in Wi. 3. Webster in In. Met a lot of cool people at all places but, these stand out not to mention fishing was alright. |
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Posts: 66
Location: Padova - Italy | Lotw
Crow
Indian Chain
but I’ve fished only that three |
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Posts: 3147
| what percentage of replys have vermilion in it???,,,but yet people maintain its not crowded??? lets hope Mile Lacs bounces back or it will really get nuts |
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Posts: 1057
Location: Medford, WI | Look at the area (acreage) Vermilion has to offer...and so much of it is fishable. Yes, certain spots that look really, really good on a map may have a boat on them (or two or three...), but you have to look beyond the spots on maps. I've only been on Mille Lacs a few days, but I had about 3x as many people fishing in the same exact area as me on Mille Lacs than I ever have on Vermilion.
Some people say it's crowded, some people say that there's not all that much pressure for it's size...all depends on how you view it I guess.
-Jake |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | Vermilion? I'm never going back there... too crowded.
1)Vermilion Rocks
2)Vermilion Weeds
3)Vermilion Rock/Weed Combos |
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Posts: 2024
| In keeping with Hammskie's post...
1) LOTW rocks
2) LOTW weeds
3) LOTW rock/weed combos |
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Posts: 202
| Tough call but if I had to name them:
LOTW - to many huge fish with so little pressure
Minnetonka - its a fun lake to fish with lots of monsters
Indiana - Although they cant compete with the two lakes listed above for size its a great place to go catch fish with a nice one mixed in. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Hooker, You didn't answer the question. I know you hate fishing V, so whats your top three? and why?
Jerome |
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Posts: 1265
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Haven't found a fishable body of water that I didn't like! |
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Posts: 376
Location: Lake Vermilion Tower, MN | I fell in love with Vermilion way before it even had Muskies in it.
World class smallie action, monster Pike and one of the best Walleye lakes in MN.
I don't fish any of the tourist spots so I don't see all the traffic that all you guys complain about.
2) Leech Lake.
It was my favorite Muskie lake before I moved to Vermilion.
It's been down a bit in recent years, but it still has some monsters swimming in it.
3) Island lake near Duluth MN.
Please don't tell anyone, it's a big secret. I guess I should have called it Lake X.
"Ace" |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | There were darned few. |
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Posts: 2089
| 1.LOTW- Anywhere on it too. Nestor to Bishop Bay. The Greatest Muskie lake in the world. Pure, unadulterated ,Heaven on Earth. It's a Spiritual thing up there .
2. Mille Lacs-Stupid lake got in my blood. Or maybe it's the other way around. Either way, it's kinda like an "Old Man And The Sea" thing, minus the Hemingway. Sometimes I wonder while rolling in icy 3 footers during the "Gales Of November" with the tiller in my hand and a 'Red' on my lips. I've touched the Queens Sisters, now I want the Queen. Kinda selfish I know but I'll put her back so it's ok.
3.Vermilion with 1 'L'.LOL X 10,000. Re-kindled my affair with Vermilion this year after taking a couple years off. 'A few' big fish with 100,000 spots for 'em to hide, and I might be a little conservative on that number. Only 99,900 to go.Hahhahahahahahaha. |
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Posts: 376
Location: Lake Vermilion Tower, MN | Hey Jerome,
I'm very aware that there have been Muskies here for quite some time. I have seen the photos of fish caught back in the 40's & 50's.
Hardly a fishable population back in the day. By the way I am a local, I have lived here for 35 years. I doubt there were many anglers targeting Muskies in the 50's and 60's.
I wasn't expecting to get trashed for listing my favorite fishing lakes. Guess
I was wrong.
"Ace" |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Sorry Ace,
I didn't mean to be so rude, and I apoligize for any trash talking,
Won't happen again.
Jerome |
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Posts: 3147
| Jerome
heres my 3
1...'Cant do it",,and I wont put a phony name,,nobody is fishing this place and its heaven to go to something getting rare here in Minn
2,,,Baby lake,,never saw anything bigger then about 47' but what a pretty lake to be on,,,the president of that lakeshore owners assoc is really doing a good job keeping the lake from shoreline destruction
3,,Leech,,in the past few years saw the most 50's in one day here,,"Trying to get people to go and split gas and lodging is the rub",,everybody wants to wedge into Mile Lacs and Vermillion
Edited by happy hooker 12/4/2008 10:23 AM
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Posts: 724
Location: Southern W.Va. | These three areas hold a special place in my heart for toothy fish:
#1 Vermillion Lake, Minn. Saw big fish, caught a good one and caught my biggest northern, 40"
#2 LOTW so much water
#3 Small northern Wisc. lakes ( love this area )
Mauser |
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Posts: 27
| 1) North Twin
2) Wisconsin River
3) Crescent |
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Posts: 221
Location: Detroint Lakes, MN |
Leech.
Whitefish Bay.
French River.
All can be very tough, but scenic, unspoiled areas that have serious monster potential of native fish.
JS |
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Posts: 153
| Chippewa Flowage-annual trip with the boys
LOTW-Lots of places to fish for fish of all sizes
Pewaukee-caught my largest fish to date and it's close to my house |
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| Okauchee
Cass
Big (MN) |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Wabigoon
Vermilion
Pineview |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | 1. LOTWs Angle area 2. LOTWs Morson area 3. LOTWs Whitefish Bay The north part isn't bad either. All sorts of different lakes within the LOTWs, some of the greatest water in the world. Spent the last 40 years fishing this great lake, hope for many more. Doug Johnson |
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Posts: 27
Location: FORT ATKINSON | It is hard to pick three. I got to fish alot of different waters competing in the PMTT for five years and I love to travel and expore new waters, but if I had to pick three:
Vermilion
Wisconsin river and its flowages
and a three way tie for third: Fox river/green bay,Okauchee,Kinkaid |
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Your Top Three Lakes To Fish.