Mercer Wisconsin Vacation Cottage, Cabin, Lodging Rental on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage

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Activities and Attractions

Iron County Wisconsin, including the towns of Mercer and Hurley, is 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 - pier on our property
Boating - open water and river canoeing - boat landing nearby
Hunting - large and small game are abundant - Deer, Ruffed Grouse & Waterfowl - thousands of acres of public hunting land are nearby
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, 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!

View an article about the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage by Peoria Journal Star, Inc outdoor writer Jeff Lampe at http://www.pjstar.com/stories/061007/JEF_BDERT8I2.068.php#list.

You will find additional information about the scenic waters of the Turtle Flambeau Flowage on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website.

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 with the friendly folks at the Midway Bar 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 mudd humps, back bays, islands, bogs and numerous weed beds makes for excellent fish habitat.

Smallmouth Bass: Although much known for its fantastic walleye fishing, the Turtle Flambeau Flowage also boasts a excellent population of Smallmouth Bass. With 19,000 acres of superb smallmouth habitat, abundant feed, and acres of prime spawning areas the small mouth population on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage has exploded. Commonly referred to as “footballs”, the Turtle Flambeau Flowage produces much heavier smallie than the average inch to pound ratio than most other bodies of water. From early spring to late fall the small mouth 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 45lbs. Based on this survey, the Flowage continues to demonstrate its ability to provide outstanding trophy musky angling opportunities.

Click Here for Current Fishing Report

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.

Click Here for Current Snowmobiling Trail Conditions Report

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Flambeau Vista Retreat
Scott & Kathy Reinhard
P.O. Box 151
Park Falls, Wisconsin 54552
715-762-4612
E-mail: reinhard624@hotmail.com

These are some of the comments from our guest book. I don't edit them as they are entered. We thank our guests for being our best spokespeople and for giving us the opportunity to share the awesome Turtle Flambeau Flowage experience with them throughout the seasons! Some of the comments touch our hearts, some make us laugh and others just make us wonder!

We had a wonderful family vacation in the Northwoods. The cotrtges were beautiful and so cozy. Our families enjoyed snowmobiling during the day, sledding down the hills with the kids or just hanging out playing games. Our evenings were spent making meals and all sitting together reflecting on our day and family stories. We look forward to our next trip up here with more family. From our family to yours - thank you! 2/3/08

- 22 on the Reinhard's porch...but the car started...so all is well & cozy! We, & our part-time guests have had a great week. you provided us all the "small things" which make a stay so pleasant after discovering that the mouse in the kitchen wall was really the fish clock chiming the hour, Ginny let me put the spatula away & come into the living room with everyone else! Our best to you & many thanx! 1/19/08

A big greetings from Europe. I and Dan had the most lovely time in the Reinhard's cabin. Thank you for such a nice opportunity to spend our holiday in your unique, cozy cabin with such warm, romantic environment. I like a lot the design of your cabin. Keep going like that and we are looking forward to spend our free time again in such a lovely cabin like yours. A big hug from Belgium. 30/12/2007

^{_{Your cabin is really cozy. We love your fireplace. The loft is so cool. Our whole family loved staying here. Thank you! Poynette, WI 12/29/07}}

^{_{Another great hunting season at Flambeau Vista 1. Looking forward to Flambeau Vista 2 next year. You really make it feel like home here! See you next year :) P.S. Thanks for making my first hunting trip feel like home. DePere, Wisconsin 11/24/07}}

^{_{You got it right when you redesigned "the cabin" and kept the original "bones". It is a special place! The setting didn't hurt either! Getting up in the morning and seeing the mist and reflection of the trees over the water is one of the things I will remember. Thank you Kathy & Scott for providing a memorable environment for a much needed R & R. Appleton, WI 10/12/07}}

^{_{We totally enjoyed the beauty of this cabin & the gorgeous lake & setting. The cabin has all the amenities you need - all the details & decorating - you know Kathy & Scott put a lot of time into this place. Remember to hold hands up here! P.S. I'm glad Kathy is a "neatnik"! 9/7/07}}

_{^{As usual, we are packed up and we must be on our way home but wishing we could stay. So beautiful and peaceful up here. Thanks so much for the use of your cabin again. I finally got to see the kingfishers I hoped to see. The canoe is a GREAT addition to everything else. I loved early morning (6 AM) rides across to the inlet to watch the loons and kingfishers, turtles and muskrats. Even seen a muskrat nest. Saw the osprey nest and watched the babies out flying. Hummingbirds and other various sm. animals are always fun to watch. See you next year. Dixon, IL 8/4/07}}

_{^{Flambeau Vista 2 exceeded our expectations. We had a wonderful week filled with swimming, fishing, camp fires under the stars, wildlife, and plenty of rest and relaxation. The local festivals were fun too. You have a beautiful place here with its "up north" decor and the kids loved having their own beds up in the loft. It was great to see you again and we will be back next year. Thanks again. Racine, WI 8/4/07}}

_{^{The cabin is beautiful and spacious too! We loved having room to relax. Our #1 goal for this trip was to catch a ton of fish for many meals & with hopes of having extra tor the freezer to enjoy back home. Well, our efforts netted a whopping 4 fish! and a small handful of bites. We managed to split the 8 filets amongst 6 hungry mouths, & the freezer will have to remain empty until 2008. Since the fishing was slow, we enjoyed many late nights on the porch playing cards and SCRABBLE. (What a wonderful family bonding experience.) Our dogs also loved the vacation, especially jumping off the dock & hours of swimming. Thanks for all the accommodations! LaCrosse, Sun Prairie & LaFarge, WI 7/21/07}}

_{^{The doctor ordered an R & R and we were lucky to find the perfect place to rest. The cabin reminded us of a lake home we used to have. We've never stayed at a place with all the comforts of home. On the flowage it reminded us of Canada w/ beautiful wilderness and sounds and sights of the wild, especially the loon and birds, and bald eagle in flight. Dan had fun with the catch and release small mouth bass and musky. Our last night was spent at the campfire visiting with the neighbor in FV2. Scott & Kathy, thanks for your hospitality. God willing we will be back. Pewaukee, WI & Palatine, IL 6/2/07}}

_{^{We had great great weather in "mud month" temps approximately 50 degrees. Enjoyed walks along with the rocks and the boys were in heaven riding bikes around here! Your cabin is great - your new cabin is going to awesome too. Thanks again. Duluth, MN 4/13/07 P.S. We saw the walleye spawning. Scott took us there. It was cool. When we went to the big rock we cont get on the big rock. So my dad said to put my foot on his hand and crol on the rock. It was cool.}}

^{_{Thank you for the use of your beautiful cottage. We all had a great time snowmobiling, sledding, x-country skiing and just being together. You have a beautiful piece of property. The boys loved the loft :). Hope to see you again. 3/9/07}}

^{_{Had a great stay. Everyone in the area was very nice and polite. The trail conditions were fair! Had a great time on trail #10 & #17, not so much fun on #9 or #12 (kind of got lost) Ha..Ha,, Can't wait to come back. Thanks for a great place to stay. Saint Joseph, Illinois 1/15/07}}

^{_{We had a great get-a-way. The cabin was perfect. Took a trip to Copper Falls. We enjoyed the great view of the lake and the wildlife. We would come back in a heartbeat. Happy New Year! Arlington, Wisconsin 1/3/07}}

^{_{The cabin was awesome, the best one we have stayed in for deer season. We had 2 guys from our group get a deer. We all had fun and hope to make it up again next year. 11/24/06}}

^{_{We enjoyed a beautiful fall weekend. We caught a lot of fish in the Beaver Flats on Friday and several nice fish on Saturday. We loved the cabin and enjoyed the surroundings. This was the first trip my brother and I took with our dad in quite some years. Hopefully we’ll be back next year. We had an awesome trip. Thanks for everything. Muskego, Wisconsin. 10/7/06}}

^{_{We never fished the flowage but we’re glad we came here! The fishing was really good, walleye, crappie, perch, rock bass & northern. We had to work for them though. This cabin is so comfortable & so beautiful. All the comforts of home. Racine, Wisconsin. 9/23/06}}

^{_{This was our second stay at the Flambeau Vista Retreat, and it was just like we remembered. Neil worked on his woodcarving project, and I on a cross-stitch project. Our three cockers, Daisy, Cocoa & Lady enjoyed lounging around and barking at the ducks and deer we saw on our walks. As last year, it was very quiet here – which was appreciated. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. 8/26/06}}

^{_{The weather was perfect, especially the rain during the night! The three weeks were relaxed and rejuvenating – especially for the fisherman. I read a lot of your books & enjoyed the quiet and lovely surroundings. We perhaps will see you next year, but as a number of our elder friends say – “We don’t buy green bananas anymore”. Thank you for a great three weeks. Louisville, Kentucky. 7/28/06}}

^{_{Our group has been around to a lot of places over the last 20+ years, recently staying at Flambeau Vista on the TFF, awesome place, and the owners are the best. Scott stops by to see how things are and shoot the bull for awhile. I think he's such a happy guy because of Kathy! Hahahaha! One of our best experiences! Plus the fishing is great. Oconomowoc, WI. 5/20/06}}

^{_{Our Valentine weekend – the scenery is beautiful! Our snowmobile trip was exciting and adventuresome. The trails were awesome! So although we spent more time on the trails – it was comforting to come back to a warm and cozy cabin. Thanks for sharing your “Up North” with us! McHenry, Illinois. 2/13/06}}

Mercer Wisconsin Vacation Cottage, Cabin, Lodging Rental on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage