Rhinelander Chain of Lakes

   The Boom–Rhinelander Chain of Lakes is an impounded stretch of the Wisconsin River and Pine Lake Creek in central Oneida County, created in the late 1800s to hold and float timber and now managed as a multi‑use recreation and fishery system. The chain includes five primary waterbodies—Bass Lake, Boom Lake, Lake Creek, Rhinelander Flowage, and Thunder Lake—together encompassing roughly 3,576 surface acres and about 54–55 miles of shoreline between the upstream bridges and the Rhinelander dam. Much of the system feels more like a broad river or flowage than a set of discrete kettle lakes, with long, twisting channels, flooded shorelines, and back bays that invite exploration by boat or paddle. The Rhinelander chain offers a classic mixed‑species Northwoods fishery. Boom Lake, a 300‑plus‑acre impoundment immediately north of downtown Rhinelander, and the 1,372‑acre Rhinelander Flowage support musky, walleye, panfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and northern pike, with recent surveys documenting good size structure in bluegill, crappie, and gamefish populations across the system. The flowage character means abundant shoreline wood, stump fields, and river bends, plus shallow flats and mid‑depth channels that respond quickly to current and water‑level changes, giving anglers season‑long options from early‑spring walleyes to summer panfish and fall muskies. Because the chain runs right through town, it also doubles as an easy launch point for casual boating and paddling, with routes that extend both upstream and downstream along the Wisconsin River corridor. The setting around the Rhinelander Chain is a blend of small‑city convenience and Northwoods scenery. Boom Lake literally borders Rhinelander’s neighborhoods and Hodag Park, where a public launch and swimming beach provide straightforward access for residents and visitors. As you move away from town, the Rhinelander Flowage and the smaller outlying lakes transition into quieter shorelines of cabins, forest, and scattered resorts, all still within a short drive of Rhinelander’s services, trail systems, and events. For many boaters and anglers, that mix of a sizable, river‑style chain, strong multi‑species fishing, and direct connection to a full‑service Northwoods hub makes the Rhinelander Chain a practical, year‑round base of operations.