McDill Pond – canoe or kayak route

For beginner skilled paddlers: Begin at the boat landing on Business 51 at the south edge of Stevens Point. Put in at the landing, head towards then go under the bridge: paddlers will be in McDill Pond.

Caution: stay away from the dam, do not go near it.

Proceed under the bridge and look for cliff swallow nests. Next, proceed across the pond toward the power lines about one-half mile upstream. Across the pond and on the left is an osprey nest on one of the telephone poles (with binoculars paddlers may see nestlings in early spring). Continue upstream along the north shore to a channel on the left. Enter the channel and continue through until a culvert going under the road. Yes, a canoe or kayak will fit through the culvert! Continue paddling up the channel to eventually come back to the main body of water (McDill Pond). Turn right and head south under the power lines, across the main channel, under the bridge and back to the boat landing. Allow 2-3 hours for this trip. Nice flat water paddling, but can become choppy on windy days.

McDill Pond has a maximum depth of 14 feet and a bottom consisting of primarily sand, with some gravel, silt, and muck. The Pond has a long history, dating back to 1853, when the original dam was constructed for logging purposes. There is a small park below the dam. Panfish and largemouth bass are the most common fish species, with smallmouth bass and northern pike also present. A public boat launch is present on the east shore of the pond.

Exotic aquatic plant species including Eurasian water-milfoil and curlyleaf pondweed have altered the pond’s ecosystem, and harvesting throughout the summer is part of the aquatic plant management activities in McDill Pond. The last large-scale operation on the pond occurred in 2003 when extensive dredging took place. 

Source: Portage County Wisconsin Official website, and Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau