-
Welcome to the DeeperBlue.com Forums, the largest online community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. To gain full access to the DeeperBlue.com Forums you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:
- Join over 44,280+ fellow diving enthusiasts from around the world on this forum
- Participate in and browse from over 516,210+ posts.
- Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
- Post your own photos or view from 7,441+ user submitted images.
- All this and much more...
You can gain access to all this absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!
Kettle Moraine area?
- Thread startermaytag
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
There is a NORTHERN Kettle Morraine area and a SOUTHERN Kettle Morraine area in Wisconsin.
The term Kettle refers to small "pothole" like lakes - The term Morraine refers to steep hills. So basically it means "small lakes and steep hills". I believe the Kettle Morraine areas are an area of Eastern and central Wisconsin where the Glacier's left giant chunks of ice behind during the ice age. The giant chunks came from two seperate ice sheets colliding into one another... When these huge chunks sank into the ground they displaced some of it making what is refferred to as a "Moraine". When these chunks of ice melted a "Kettle" was made.Take a hike in some of the more rugged areas of the Southern Kettle Morraine & you'll see what I mean...Up down up down up down...You start to feel like a Mountain Goat! It's cool to imagine what it must have been like 20,000 years ago. I bet it was a pretty cataclysmic place...And cccccold!
SOUTHWESTERN Wisconsin is VERY rugged country and is refferred to as the UNGLACIATED area...It is almost mountainous there...The Kettle Morraine's are basically the UNGLACIATED foothills of Western Wisconsin's ancient mountains. ( I THINK! )
Any of the ACTUAL kettle lakes are fairly shallow and green most of the year..They depend on rain water to keep them filled.
However Maytag -there are lots of decent lakes with good vis in S.E. Wisconsin NEAR the Kettle Morraine area - Both small and large ones. But any lakes actually IN the Southern Kettle Morraine area tends to be very small and shallow and some-what murky for the most part. There are a few that do have fish in them.
As far as the NORTHERN Kettle Morraine area goes - I don't know much about that...This area I live in has just too many good lakes close by...I have no need to travel far to freedive or spear...Hope that answered your question!
All of this outta my head...now I have to go look somewhere to see if I'm right!
The term Kettle refers to small "pothole" like lakes - The term Morraine refers to steep hills. So basically it means "small lakes and steep hills". I believe the Kettle Morraine areas are an area of Eastern and central Wisconsin where the Glacier's left giant chunks of ice behind during the ice age. The giant chunks came from two seperate ice sheets colliding into one another... When these huge chunks sank into the ground they displaced some of it making what is refferred to as a "Moraine". When these chunks of ice melted a "Kettle" was made.Take a hike in some of the more rugged areas of the Southern Kettle Morraine & you'll see what I mean...Up down up down up down...You start to feel like a Mountain Goat! It's cool to imagine what it must have been like 20,000 years ago. I bet it was a pretty cataclysmic place...And cccccold!
SOUTHWESTERN Wisconsin is VERY rugged country and is refferred to as the UNGLACIATED area...It is almost mountainous there...The Kettle Morraine's are basically the UNGLACIATED foothills of Western Wisconsin's ancient mountains. ( I THINK! )
Any of the ACTUAL kettle lakes are fairly shallow and green most of the year..They depend on rain water to keep them filled.
However Maytag -there are lots of decent lakes with good vis in S.E. Wisconsin NEAR the Kettle Morraine area - Both small and large ones. But any lakes actually IN the Southern Kettle Morraine area tends to be very small and shallow and some-what murky for the most part. There are a few that do have fish in them.
As far as the NORTHERN Kettle Morraine area goes - I don't know much about that...This area I live in has just too many good lakes close by...I have no need to travel far to freedive or spear...Hope that answered your question!
All of this outta my head...now I have to go look somewhere to see if I'm right!
Last edited:
I was MOSTLY right!!! All of the lakes mentioned at the bottom of the link ARE fairly clear...Not Pewaukee though.
Here's a very cool & educational link -
WDNR - Kettle Moraine Geology
Here's a very cool & educational link -
WDNR - Kettle Moraine Geology
I've dove some of the lakes, but the area is better known for mountain biking and XC skiing. I would say that they have about the best mountain biking trails in the southern part of the state there. Southern unit has some great hiking/skiing trails and there are also seperate biking/skate-skiing trails. Some of them are lit in the winter time and there's at least one candle light ski per year at Lahpam peak- southern unit.
Things are a bit more rugged, from what I remember, in Norhtern Unit. There is a cear, but cold, lake up there-I think it's called Pike Lake. I've also mountian biked around Mothy lake and camped out along Long Lake.
There are some runs that you might be interested in there as well. The southern unit has the Ice Age 50 mile run every year and the northern unit has another race that can be either a 50K or a 50mile. I was out running two weeks ago, doing a 10 miler, when I met up with a guy who looked like he was geared for something a bit longer. I aksed him how far he was going, since we were both about the same pace, and he said it was just a 25 mile training run in -preperation for the, upcoming, 50 mile off road race! I guess the race lasts so long they have to start in the dark so they can finsh at a normal hour.rofl
There's also some nice camping, and even a bit of backpacking, to be done there as well.
Jon
Things are a bit more rugged, from what I remember, in Norhtern Unit. There is a cear, but cold, lake up there-I think it's called Pike Lake. I've also mountian biked around Mothy lake and camped out along Long Lake.
There are some runs that you might be interested in there as well. The southern unit has the Ice Age 50 mile run every year and the northern unit has another race that can be either a 50K or a 50mile. I was out running two weeks ago, doing a 10 miler, when I met up with a guy who looked like he was geared for something a bit longer. I aksed him how far he was going, since we were both about the same pace, and he said it was just a 25 mile training run in -preperation for the, upcoming, 50 mile off road race! I guess the race lasts so long they have to start in the dark so they can finsh at a normal hour.rofl
There's also some nice camping, and even a bit of backpacking, to be done there as well.
Jon
Hi Jon and BGill,
Thanks for the fantastic information on Kettle Moraine. It sounds great. Jon, yes, the question was motivated by the Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Runs. Finishers get a really cool copper tea kettle
It really sounds like fun. They have a 38M fun run at night, plus the 100K and the 100M which can be done solo or as a relay. I was wondering if any of you guys dive up there and might be interested in the runs. It sounds like fun, but I wouldn't want to do it myself and none of my friends here would be game for it...
I should probably get a driver's license to get up there...
LOL. So, I didn't read DB until after 5PM which is after the official close of business day. Then, of course, around 5:10pm my manager pops in and I say, "hey Jon" instead of the manager's name. He goes, "who's Jon?"
:headGood thing I wasn't replying to SPaghetti! roflrofl
Dangit. I work all hours. Can't I check DB just for a minute or two after the official close of business day? :headJust kidding. I should knw better. I'm usually good about not doing frivolous things on the work computer. The one time I am too lax...
Okay... signing off until I get home later. Thanks for all the useful information about KM. Would you be interested in KM 100?
Best cheers,
Thanks for the fantastic information on Kettle Moraine. It sounds great. Jon, yes, the question was motivated by the Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Runs. Finishers get a really cool copper tea kettle
I should probably get a driver's license to get up there...
LOL. So, I didn't read DB until after 5PM which is after the official close of business day. Then, of course, around 5:10pm my manager pops in and I say, "hey Jon" instead of the manager's name. He goes, "who's Jon?"
:headGood thing I wasn't replying to SPaghetti! roflrofl
Dangit. I work all hours. Can't I check DB just for a minute or two after the official close of business day? :headJust kidding. I should knw better. I'm usually good about not doing frivolous things on the work computer. The one time I am too lax...
Okay... signing off until I get home later. Thanks for all the useful information about KM. Would you be interested in KM 100?
Best cheers,
I shot a really nice carp out of Crooked lake last year, but the vis was not the best...perhaps earlier in the spring, it would have been better. I also saw a lot of nice small mouth, a couple of walleye & some smaller perch. Again, vis was not the best.
Here is a photo of the one I got.
Gene
Here is a photo of the one I got.
Gene
