River Exploration

Henry Schuette Park

3700 Broadway St., Manitowoc, 920-686-3580

Follow six miles of hiking/biking trails along the Manitowoc River or take advantage of fishing spots along the way. A deluxe kids’ playground includes a wave slide, twisty slide, castle, parallel bars, zigzag ladder, rubber bridge, sand box, tot swings, playhouse, tunnel, bridge and therapeutic swing.

Manitou Park

2901 Michigan Ave., Manitowoc, 920-686-3580

Situated along the north side of the Manitowoc River, this area offers an ADA-accessible fishing facility and caters to the boating and fishing public with an auto-boat trailer parking lot.

Vietnam Veterans Park

1818 18th St., Two Rivers, 920-793-5592

Take advantage of the fishing opportunities in Two Rivers. A city operated boat launch and fish cleaning station is located on the West Twin River.

Paddlers Park

1200 block of 27th St., Two Rivers, 920-793-5592

The park is a popular place to launch a kayak or throw a line into the East Twin River.

Kayak & Canoe Rentals

Shipwreck Adventures, Two Rivers, 920-482-0725

Kewaunee Marshland Walk

Off Hwy. 42, Kewaunee

Meander through the wetland habitat along the Kewaunee River. The boardwalk leads to an observation deck that delivers a panoramic view of the pristine river.

Canoe Rentals

Ahnapee River Trails Campground, Algoma, 920-487-5777

Added in 2026

The Ahnapee River below the Forestville dam. Photo: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The five rivers in a line, south to north: the Manitowoc (35.8 miles, reaching the lake at Manitowoc), the West and East Twin rivers (meeting at the Two Rivers harbor), the Kewaunee (27.9 miles, ending at Kewaunee) and the Ahnapee (ending at Algoma).

Since 2015 the most useful way to see two of them is by bike. The Ahnapee State Trail follows the Ahnapee and Kewaunee rivers from Sturgeon Bay south to Algoma, Casco, Luxemburg and Kewaunee, and part of it doubles as the Ice Age Trail. Fishing on all five still depends on the stocking program: each year the Wisconsin DNR puts chinook, coho, steelhead and brown trout into the Kewaunee so the fish return to it as adults.

Sources: Wikipedia articles on the Manitowoc, Kewaunee, Ahnapee, East Twin and West Twin rivers and the Ahnapee State Trail (read November 2026).

Questions visitors ask

Which of the five rivers is best for a beginner paddle?

The original page sent paddlers to the Two Rivers launch parks and to an outfitter in Algoma. For a first trip pick a calm summer day and ask locally about water levels; spring runoff speeds up every one of these rivers.

Do I need a fishing license to fish the rivers?

Yes. Anyone 16 or older needs a Wisconsin fishing license, and trout and salmon fishing usually also requires a Great Lakes salmon and trout stamp. Check the Wisconsin DNR for current rules and seasons.

Original text restored from the Wayback Machine capture of June 25, 2015. Typos and dead links were tidied; nothing else in the original section was rewritten. How this archive works.