8 public access points on the lake
Getting on the water
Shawano Lake has six trailer ramps and two carry-in accesses. The counts you find published elsewhere run from 4 to 10 because each source counts something different: the DNR inventory lists 7 and skips Foesch Road, the joint city and county permit lists 9 and includes four landings that are not on this lake at all. The table below separates them.
One permit covers almost everything. Buy the annual for $30 at Shawano City Hall or the County Clerk, or pay $5 a day at the landing. The Town of Washington runs its own pass for Swan Acres, and the joint permit does not cover it.
Where the ramps are
Green markers are landings, gold markers are fishing areas. A landing without verified coordinates does not appear on the map and is listed in the table instead. Tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
The landings
| Landing | Owner | Where | Ramp | Fee | What is there |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano Lake County Park & Campground Boat Ramp
Largest landing on the lake: 4 concrete-panel lanes, launch depth greater than 3 feet. DNR field note (July 2015): the transitions to the boarding docks are not ADA accessible. Covered by the joint City of Shawano / Shawano County annual pass. |
county | W5785 Lake Drive (launch at the end of Sunset Circle), Shawano, WI 54166 north shore of the main (west) basin |
concrete | Permit required. $5.00 daily, purchased on site. $30.00 annual, or $20.00 annual for age 65+, active/retired military, or disabled veterans; sold at Shawano City Hall and the Shawano County Clerk. The DNR/Lake-Link record still shows an obsolete 2015 rate of $3.00 daily / $25.00 annual. | dock, center access pier, ADA accessible fishing pier, fish cleaning station, flush restroom, showers, 300-foot sand beach, pet beach, boat wash, potable water, lighting, boat slips, campground (100 sites), boat, canoe, paddleboard and pontoon rental, free Wi-Fi |
| Cecil Lake View Park Boat Ramp (Village of Cecil Landing)
2 concrete-panel lanes. DNR field note (July 2015): the transition to the boarding dock is not ADA accessible. A separate handicap-accessible public dock sits at the State Highway 22 / 117 intersection in Cecil. |
village | 100 Freeborn St., Cecil, WI 54111 Cecil Bay, at the east end of the lake |
concrete | Permit required. $5.00 daily on site; $30.00 annual, or $20.00 for age 65+, active/retired military, or disabled veterans, on the joint City of Shawano / Shawano County pass. The DNR/Lake-Link record still shows an obsolete 2015 daily rate of $3.00. | dock, fishing pier, ADA kayak launch, flush restroom, changing house, public swimming beach, picnic area, playground, basketball court, lighting, potable water (flushing and cleaning only, not for drinking), 35 campsites, May through September |
| Stark Road Landing
1 concrete-plank lane. The DNR record lists the municipality as Town of Washington, but the City of Shawano permit page, the Shawano County permit page, the Town of Wescott ordinance (Chapter 178, Article VI, section 178-33C) and OSM/Nominatim all place Stark Road in the Town of Wescott. The City of Shawano page spells it 'Start Road' and says the permit also covers the Washington Lake County Park landing. |
town | End of Stark Road, off CTH H / North Lake Drive north-northeast shore |
concrete | Permit required. $5.00 daily; $30.00 annual, or $20.00 for age 65+, active/retired military, or disabled veterans, on the joint City of Shawano / Shawano County pass. The DNR/Lake-Link record still shows an obsolete 2015 daily rate of $3.00. | dock, ADA accessible boarding dock and route of travel, portable restroom, lighting |
| Cattau Beach Boat Landing
1 gravel lane. DNR field note (July 2015): there is no turnaround, so you back in from Cattau Beach Court, and the route of travel and dock transition are not ADA accessible. Listed as a Town of Wescott fee site in Chapter 178, section 178-33A. |
town | End of Cattau Beach Drive (also signed Cattau Beach Road / Cattau Beach Court) west shore |
gravel | Permit required. $5.00 daily; $30.00 annual, or $20.00 for age 65+, active/retired military, or disabled veterans, on the joint City of Shawano / Shawano County pass. The DNR/Lake-Link record still shows an obsolete 2015 daily rate of $3.00. | dock, portable restroom |
| Swan Acres Landing
1 concrete-plank lane. Slow-no-wake at the launch area. DNR field note (July 2015): the route of travel and transition to the boarding dock are not ADA accessible. The Town of Washington pass also covers White Clay Lake, Pensaukee Lake and Korth Lake. |
town | End of Swan Acre Drive, Cecil, WI 54111 southeast shore, west of Cecil Bay |
concrete | Permit required, and NOT covered by the City of Shawano / Shawano County pass. Town of Washington rates: $5.00 daily, $30.00 annual. Annual passes sell at Lakeview BP in Cecil, White Clay Lake Lodge, or from the town treasurer. The DNR/Lake-Link record still shows an obsolete 2015 daily rate of $3.00. | dock, designated accessible parking, portable restroom, lighting |
| Foesch Road Landing
Named as a fee site in Town of Wescott Code Chapter 178, section 178-33B ('Landing next to Foesch Road intersection with CTH H'), and on both the City of Shawano and Shawano County permit lists. It does NOT appear in the Wisconsin DNR boat-access inventory that Lake-Link and Stay Northern republish, so ramp surface, lane count, parking count and amenities are unverified. |
town | Landing next to the Foesch Road intersection with CTH H (North Lake Drive), by Hubie's Market and The Spinning Wheel west end of the lake |
unknown | Permit required. $5.00 daily; $30.00 annual, or $20.00 for age 65+, active/retired military, or disabled veterans, on the joint City of Shawano / Shawano County pass. | Not listed |
| Maders Circle carry-in access (also called Kellogg Landing)
Unimproved surface, launch depth less than 3 feet, no dock, no restroom, no lighting. A search result attributes the name 'Kellogg Landing' to this access via Town of Wescott ordinance material; that name was not confirmed on the ordinance page itself, so treat it as unverified. |
town | End of Maders Circle southwest shore |
carry-in | No fee found. The Town of Wescott ordinance carries an editor's note that the original 'Landing next to Maders Circle' fee-site provision (Ord. No. 97-6, Section 5.C) was superseded, and Maders Circle is absent from the current City of Shawano and Shawano County permit lists. | Not listed |
| Cedar Court Carry-in
Unimproved surface, launch depth less than 3 feet, no dock, no restroom, no lighting. Because there is no legal parking, this is a drop-off-only paddle access. |
town | End of Cedar Court south lobe, at the southern tip of the lake |
carry-in | No fee found; not on any municipal permit list. | Not listed |
| Huckleberry Harbor
Included because the same City of Shawano / Shawano County permit covers it and because it is the busiest landing in the area. 3.6-acre city park, open 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily. |
city | 220 N. Sawyer St., Shawano, WI 54166 NOT on Shawano Lake. This is a Wolf River landing in downtown Shawano, roughly 4.5 miles southwest of the lake. |
concrete | Permit required. $5.00 daily or $30.00 annual, purchased on site (credit card only at this landing per the City permit page). Annual is $20.00 for age 65+, active/retired military, or disabled veterans, bought at Shawano City Hall. | four ramps, piers, seasonal restrooms, rentable picnic shelter, picnic tables, open space, free public Wi-Fi, waterfront shoreline fishing |
| County M Landing (Lieg Street Boat Landing)
The City permit page calls it 'County M Landing - West end of Shawano'; Shawano Country calls the same site the Lieg Street Boat Landing. No restrooms. Included because the same permit covers it. |
city | W. Lieg Street (County M), about six blocks west of Main Street, Shawano NOT on Shawano Lake. Wolf River, on the left bank downstream of the Shawano dam. |
unknown | Permit required. $5.00 daily; $30.00 annual, or $20.00 for age 65+, active/retired military, or disabled veterans, on the joint City of Shawano / Shawano County pass. | Not listed |
Blank cells mean no published source states the value. Call the City of Shawano or the Shawano County Clerk to confirm before you tow a boat there.
What a launch costs
| Permit | Price | Where to buy it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | $5.00 | The fee box at the landing | The nine landings on the joint city and county list |
| Annual | $30.00 | Shawano City Hall or the Shawano County Clerk | The same nine landings |
| Annual, reduced | $20.00 | Shawano City Hall | Age 65 and over, active or retired military, disabled veterans |
| Town of Washington, daily | $5.00 | On site | Swan Acres, White Clay Lake, Pensaukee Lake, Korth Lake |
| Town of Washington, annual | $30.00 | Lakeview BP in Cecil, White Clay Lake Lodge, or the town treasurer | The same four landings |
Ignore the $3 you will see quoted online. Every listing that republishes the DNR boat-access record still shows the 2015 rates of $3.00 daily and $25.00 annual. The city and county pages both say $5.00 and $30.00. Huckleberry Harbor takes credit cards only. Display the permit on your rear bumper or the trailer tongue.
Planning the trip
Timing
- Weekend and holiday recreational traffic is heavy, and the launches back up during the best fishing hours.
- Be on the water before 9 a.m. The water is calmest then and the ski boats are not out yet.
- Ice-out is usually mid-April. Musky opens May 2 and closes December 31.
What the lake demands of a boat
- Average depth is 9 feet and the bottom is 88% sand, so a shallow-draft boat covers far more of this lake than a deep-V.
- 18 miles of shoreline and 6,215 acres means wind builds a real chop. Watch the forecast on the open west basin.
- Weed growth is heavy through summer. Bring a weedless setup and a way to clear the prop.
- Carry-in and kayak access exists at Cecil Lakeview Park, which has an ADA kayak launch.
Shore fishing
- Shawano Lake County Park has an ADA accessible fishing pier, a center access pier inside the boat launch, and a fish cleaning station.
- Cecil Lake View Park has a fishing pier and an ADA kayak launch, and a second accessible public dock sits at the Highway 22 and 117 intersection in Cecil.
- Sturgeon Park, on the east bank of the Wolf River below the Shawano dam, is the pier people crowd in April for the sturgeon spawn.
- Huckleberry Harbor in downtown Shawano gives you piers and open waterfront on the Wolf River, 4.5 miles from the lake.
- The Shawano Outlet holds the biggest bass and perch in the system, and you can reach parts of it from the bank.
- Remember the refuge closure below the Shawano dam from April 15 to May 15.