In an effort to protect our lakes from the relentless spread of exotic species such as zebra mussels, quagga mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, spiny water fleas, gobys, viral hemorrhagic septicemia, etc., etc., we have closed our boat landing. This is a huge decision for us and we are very sorry for this inconvenience, but we feel the possibility of bringing in exotic species on a boat, canoe, or kayak is not worth the risk. The only exception would be if the watercraft is stored here year around and only used here. You can certainly bring your boat if you want to fish other waters, use your boat as a "trailer" to haul up bicycles, coolers, etc., or, if you want to ski, we recommend Connor Lake; see bottom of page.

You may bring trolling motors, but they will be dipped in a bleach solution for several minutes. Likewise, if you care to bring an outboard, it will be run for several minutes in a bleach solution. We would also like to look at any landing nets and bait containers you might bring. Please, do not bring any live bait nor anchors with you - we have plenty of anchors if you need one. We also have 23 Smokercraft boats as well as our older fiberglass boats, and several canoes and kayaks - just let us know if you need something; we won't leave you stranded.

With the ever increasing numbers of exotic species being detected, and the ceaseless spread of these exotics from the great lakes to heavily utilized inland waterways, and not to lesser used inland waters, we feel this is the only way we can protect our lakes. We have been inspecting each boat, canoe, and kayak that has been launched on our waters since 1994. In that year, we had 110 inspections. In 2007, we had 159 inspections; not a huge increase considering it wa over a fourteen year period, but still 159 chances of missing something on a boat or trailer. The number of boats coming in, together with the complexity of some of the boats (multi-storage areas) for inspection, and the increasing numbers of exotics that can possibly be introduced, have combined to make us feel that we cannot inspect a boat and feel certain that it is clean. As an example, viral hemorrhagic septiemia (VHS) has been detected in Lake Winnebago and that water system. VHS is a water-borne virus that kills fish by hemorraging. It is not detectable, and can be present anywhere water is; water holding areas, in the water-cooled outboard engine, in anchor ropes, rags, etc.

Again, this is possibly the biggest decision we have made in the 40 years the we have been here at Boyd's, and it was certainly not made lightly. We have been wrestling with this for many years, and the detection of VHS was the final straw. There's just too much stuff out there, and our lakes are too valuable and special to do anything less than close the landing. We deeply regret any inconvenience this has caused, and hope you understand our decision.

Thank you,

Dick Simon

If you would like to bring your boat for water skiing and tubing, we suggest going to Connor Lake. There is an excellent state boat landing on the north end with plenty of parking, and no charge for launch. There is also a picnic area and swimming beach adjacent to the landing, which you can enjoy for a fee. If you would like to make a day of it, we'd be happy to pack a lunch for you. The lake is 408 acres in size, with a maximum depth of 87 feet.

There are two ways to get there. The short route is about 15 miles and takes about 25 minutes. That's the good news. The bad news is that the route goes down Price lakes Road which is a crooked, gravel road which can be very dusty and "washboardy". To go this way, take Boyd's Road to Hwy 70, turn right and to 0.5 mile to Price lakes Road. Turn right and go 8.8 miles to County Road W. Turn right and go 3.3 miles to the Connor Lake boat landing. The ling route is about 27 1/2 miles long and takes about 35 minutes. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's all blacktop and smooth sailing. To go this way, take Boyd's Road to Hwy 70, turn left and go 11.7 miles to County M. Turn left and go 7.2 miles to County W. Turn left again and go 6.4 mile to the Connor Lake boat landing.