Pool 4 Tent Camping Question

I am looking for some input on a place to tent camp near Pool 4 one of the first 2 weekends of April. I’ve done a little bit of research online and haven’t found a campground that suites everything I am looking for.

Here’s what I am looking for, with my desires listed from most important to least important.
-Located along or near Pool 4
-Tent Camping and typical amenities that go along with that. We can even get by without water and shower for a day. A fire pit is a requirement though!
-Camp spot right on the river
-Boat Ramp
-If not a boat ramp, a short drive to a nearby boat ramp
-Cheap, not overly crowded- which might not be a problem in early April anywhere.
-Electric Hook-Up to charge Terrova over night
-Dock to leave the boat on overnight (probably won’t find this) so we can get up and literally hit the water in the morning

I’ve seen people in tents on the shoreline along Evert’s before, and I would consider looking into that. But Evert’s can also get pretty busy on a weekend in the spring, and I don’t know if I want to be around that many people… Want to get away a bit.
Frontenac State Park looks like it could fill a few of my needs, but it doesn’t have a boat ramp. A lot of the other private campgrounds don’t open until mid-late April, so there may not be a lot to choose from either.

Basically because of a mess created last year, Everts is not taking tents or weekend campers any longer. This could change in the coming years but not this year.

Besides launching and staying on public property or an island, I’m at a loss to give any help.

Here you go! Don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier!

Island Campground and Marina  
RV Park

Address: 650 825th St, Hager City, WI 54014
Phone:(715) 222-1808

http://www.islandcampingandmarina.com/TheCampground.html

I was kicking around the idea of setting up a tent at that campground that first week in April myself! If you see a white Tahoe with a white Triton boat stop over and say hi.

There a boat ramp at point no point in frontnec park..

BK idea sounds better though..

BK, I will contact them and see. Only thing is I see on their website “We will be home again April 1, 2016 and will start taking weekend and
summer reservations on tax day, April 15. Closed for the winter.
Gate locked. Have a great winter season and holiday season.”

But it also says “The Island Campground also has an area for tenting. The campground does not take reservations for the tenting area – as if it rains too much the tenting area will flood. The tenting area does not often fill up, so if the weather forecast looks good just come on down. The tenting sites have fire pits and picnic tables.”

So I will call them and just make sure that non-reservation tent camping is allowed after April 1 and before April 15.

Hi all. I am new to the forum so I apologize if I’m posting on the wrong thread etc.

Got a bigger boat over the winter and itching to get on the water the wife and I are going to head down to Everett to launch after work today.
We live on the St.Croix so we are familiar with river fishing, but have never been down to this part of the Mississippi.
We plan to launch at Everett’s.
Is there ice floating around out there? Any tips on what to watch out for and what to stay away from would be MUCH appreciated. I would hate to bust the lower unit off on the maiden voyage!

I have camped at baycity park and the guy who runs it was good to me. It has a boat launch right there. It is at the head of Lake Pepin and it just has a little playground, bathroom (no showers), and electricity at a pavilion by the camping spots. I used it to make a deep fryed shore lunch but I am sure you can charge phones and what not if you want. It looks like it might not open until May, but they claim they may open early, who knows you would just have to call them. Here is the webby.
http://www.baycitywi.org/bccampground.htm

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Here you go! Don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier!

Island Campground and Marina  
RV Park

Address: 650 825th St, Hager City, WI 54014
Phone:(715) 222-1808

http://www.islandcampingandmarina.com/TheCampground.html

X2 I have camped there several times before I bought our motorhome.

@jstoneinc

Hey Jake, welcome to IDO!

When you stop in the the bait shop ask them for the free map. They can show you were the 4 wing dams are up stream, the closing dam in the back channel and more.

For ice, there’s been a little in the mornings. Just don’t be in a hurry and you’ll be fine. With the warmer temps the lakes above the dam are going to start breaking up.

When that happens there will be chunks of ice. Also there’s a post about the Great Flush of 2016 starting up stream. Conditions will be changing very shortly on our little stretch of the river soon, but the boater that’s not in a hurry and is always looking ahead (for trees ect) will be fine.

Let us know how you did and good luck!

Yep, check out bay city

There is a campground in Maiden Rock and 1 or 2 near Alma as well. Lot’s of island space available as well.

Jesse Krook wrote:

Lot’s of island space available as well.

I’m going to look more into this option. Pretty much every island is fair game, right? It looks like most of the better islands are from Lake Pepin down to Alma, anything closer to Red Wing area? Most of my fishing experience is between the dam and Red Wing, I’ve only fished Pepin once. Early April is there decent fishing action if we were to stay, camp, fish down in the Pepin/Alma area and get away from the crowds? Or is there a reason that everybody is up by the dam? Might be a reason to try and learn a little different area!

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Island Campground and Marina  RV Park

ssperch wrote:

I was kicking around the idea of setting up a tent at that campground that first week in April myself! If you see a white Tahoe with a white Triton boat stop over and say hi.

FYI, I sent them an email and they will not be taking anybody, including tent campers, until their April 15 opening.

mnrabbit wrote:

Pretty much every island is fair game, right?

There’s some WI Back Channel areas I’ve seen campers tenting on. Easy to find in the summer as there’s Y sticks stuck into the bank for fishing.

That’s too bad about Island, that would have been perfect.