About The Area

Activities and Attractions

Iron County, Wisconsin, filled with wonderful scenery and rich iron mining heritage, is an excellent choice to spend a week or weekend exploring all this area has to offer.

• Fishing - open water and ice - Musky, Walleye, Bass, Northern Pike & Panfish - there is a fishing pier and boat dock right on our property 
• Boating - open water and river canoeing - boat landing nearby
• Hunting - large and small game are abundant - Deer, Ruffed Grouse & Waterfowl
• Sightseeing - woods, waters, waterfalls and wildlife - loons, eagles, osprey, beaver, otter & deer, fall color tours
• Hiking and Biking - on and off road trails
• Shop and Eat - unique shops and restaurants within miles
• Snowmobiling - hundreds of miles of trails are just outside our door waiting for you and your sled on Iron County Trail #9
• Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing - beginner to advanced

Turtle-Flambeau Flowage History

The Chippewa and Flambeau Improvement Company created the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage in 1926 with the damming of the Turtle and Flambeau Rivers.  The dam, built to generate energy for the Flambeau Paper Corporation, located 20 miles to the south, created a body of water 19,000 acres in size, encompassing 15 lakes, three rivers, and several creeks.

The State of Wisconsin has acquired ownership of over 23,000 acres (95%) of the land surrounding the flowage, including 114 miles of shoreline and 195 islands, ensuring that the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage will remain one of the largest wilderness waters in Wisconsin.  The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage is truly the Crown Jewel of Wisconsin!

Fishing, Hunting, Canoeing and Nature Observation

The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage invites people who enjoy the solitude of a vast wilderness to pursue their limit of walleye, smallmouth bass, musky, northern pike and panfish. A guided fishing trip and sightseeing tour down the Flambeau River is a must during your visit.

Walleyes:  The famous Turtle Flambeau Flowage, (19,000 acres of water) is rated by the Wisconsin D.N.R. as having one of the best walleye populations per acre of water in the state. Laid out with open mud flat areas, miles and miles of river channels, log jams, rock, and sand shorelines, submerged as well as visible stump fields, hundreds of center lake rock and mud humps, back bays, islands, bogs and numerous weed beds make for excellent fish habitat.

Smallmouth Bass:  Although much known for its fantastic walleye fishing, the Turtle Flambeau Flowage also boasts an excellent population of Smallmouth Bass. With 19,000 acres of superb  smallmouth habitat, abundant feed, and acres of prime spawning areas the smallmouth population on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage has exploded in the last six years. Commonly referred to as “footballs”, the Turtle Flambeau Flowage produces much heavier smallies than the average inch to pound ratio than most other bodies of water. From early spring to late fall the smallmouth can be found roaming the various structures of the TFF.

Musky:  In order to determine the status of the musky population, survey crews returned after the walleye spawning season to obtain information on the general health of the musky population. A total of 253 musky were captured through this effort. Of the total fish sampled, 14% or 36 fish were larger than 40 inches in length. 30% (76) were greater than 36 inches. The largest musky sampled was 51+ inches in length and over 45 lbs. Based on this survey, the Flowage continues to demonstrate its ability to provide outstanding trophy musky angling opportunities.

Snowmobiling the Mercer, Wisconsin Area

Snow blanketed forests filled with the sights and sounds of the Wisconsin Northwoods is what allures many snowmobilers to Iron County. Boasting nearly 200 inches of snow annually and over 450 miles of meticulously groomed trails are great reasons to set your sights on this beautiful county for your next riding adventure. Riders can also experience the mining heritage of days gone by with the many remnants of how Iron County received its name. 

Mercer, a popular snowmobile hub located in southeastern Iron County, is a great place to begin your riding adventure. This area has trails radiating in all directions for snowmobilers to enjoy along with ample accommodations.

A choice trail of interest is Corridor 8, which travels west of Mercer past Lake of the Falls scenic area and the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. This trail meanders through beautifully wooded, well groomed trails on its way toward Ashland County. Nature loving riders enjoy an adventure on Trail 19 as it winds through the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest south to Manitowish offering scenery snowmobilers must experience to appreciate.

Mercer is the destination of choice for many riders wishing to enjoy a delicious meal or rest after a long day on the trails. Mercer is home to the famous Red Light Snowmobile Rally held every December, the first snowmobiling event of the season.

Trails of interest throughout this county are numerous. A few favorites are Corridor 2 north-west of Hurley which passes near Rock Cut Gorge, a popular scenic point of interest, along a scenic journey toward Saxon. Another is the trip on Trail 3 to quaint Saxon Harbor nestled on the shores of majestic Lake Superior.

A journey on Corridor 17 guides riders south along the Upper Michigan border past beautiful Pine Lake. This trail crosses many rivers and creeks offering excellent viewing of wildlife and the natural splendor common to Iron County. Trail 77 takes a southwestern course through the rich historic iron mining towns of Montreal, Pence and Iron Belt with a unique opportunity to view the Plummer Mine Headframe. This is the only remaining mine headframe in Wisconsin. 

In the southern section of Iron County, Springstead located on Trail 182, welcomes riders to enjoy well marked trails that wander through dense snow covered forests for a unique winter experience.