Appleton Yacht Club

We took our boat on the Lake Winnebago down the lower Fox River to the Appleton Yacht Club trip yesterday.

The Appleton Yacht club is private however if you arrive via water they can serve you. The clubhouse has a nice bar, main dining room and a large patio area on the water side. It’s a nice trip to go thru Menasha past buoy 100 (the big stone cube) then under the Racine street bridge then past Menasha Marina then past Tayco street.

Next you enter the Menasha lock. For $10 (or $5 if your boat is less then 26’) they will lower you down to the level of Little Lake Butte Des Morts. Please note this is a different lake then Lake Butte Des Morts. Little Lake Butte Des Morts is further down the Fox River and in the Menasha Wisconsin area.

The lock is completely hand operated. You get to see the worker run in circles as they move a boom around a gear to open and close the gates. Next then manually open the valves to let the water out as you hold onto two ropes so your boat stays to one side of the lock in the same area. Don’t tie off, you boat will be hanging there if you do.

Exiting the lock there is a channel well marked with red and green buoys.

Continuing north downriver you go under the highway 441 bridge known by locals as the polish connection. As the lake narrows you enter the lower Fox River. It’s a short but beautiful ride looking at the steep riverbanks until you get to a no wake zone. At the far downriver north end of this no wake zone is the Appleton Yacht club.

Guest boat parking is available on the river side. You see a big dead tree in the water. As long as you stick to the south side (upriver, the side you are coming from) you will be fine.

Appleton Yacht Club
http://www.appletonyachtclub.com/
(920) 733 - 9848