3 of the Best Lakes In Wisconsin For Families

If you're looking for a lake destination that the whole family will love this summer, look no further than these 3 lakes in Wisconsin.

Summers In Wisconsin

Living in Northern Illinois I consider myself incredibly blessed to have a family lake house to visit all year in Rome, Wisconsin. It's located about 45 minutes north of the Wisconsin Dells, so to me it's the perfect mix of being far enough away from home to make it feel like you're getting away, but short enough of a drive to just go for a weekend.

Our family cabin is on a smaller lake that is great for boating and water sports, but sometimes we like to pull our boat out of the water for a day adventure on different lakes in the area.

If you have young kids, or a young soul that likes to have fun, here are three lakes my family loves to go to that you should check out this summer...

Best Lakes For Families in Wisconsin

Let's start with the lake that is the shortest drive from Northern Illinois;

Rock Lake in Lake Mills, Wisconsin

I spent nearly every summer weekend swimming, boating, and riding jetskis on Rock Lake when I was in high school, and it is still one of my favorite lakes to visit. There is a public boat ramp, a public beach to enjoy, and this round lake has tons of room for water sports, fishing, or just taking a cruise. FYI, legend says there are ancient pyramids hiding at the bottom of this lake...maybe you'll be able to find them?

Castle Rock Lake near Mauston, Wisconsin

If we're going to take a day trip from our lake house, Castle Rock Lake is my family's favorite place to go for two reasons...

The fun sand bar located in the lake...

and The Dirty Turtle...

This bar and grill is located right on the water and offers fun things to do for all ages. There's outdoor games for the kids, a tiki bar for the adults, it even has boat slips and charter boats for rent.

Lake Petenwell

Lake Petenwell is located just a short drive away from Castle Rock Lake and is a favorite of fishermen and boaters alike. My family, however, visits this lake more to drink and eat than we do to fish, and the Lure Bar & Grill is always a must stop when we go there.

Located at Barnum Bay Marina, the Lure sits next to a public beach and boat launch, and it is a great spot to spend a day swimming, boating, drinking, and more.

Looking for more Wisconsin vacation ideas? Here ya go...