Tallman Road Boat Launch

Despite what the DNR listing suggests, there's no formal boat ramp here — zero lanes, zero trailer spots. This is basically a carry-in access point on the Maple River. You can drag a kayak, canoe, or small jon boat down to the bank, but don't show up expecting to back a trailer in.

The Maple River here runs slow and shallow with a lot of big rocks scattered through stretches of it. Kayakers regularly get hung up navigating around them, especially in late summer when levels drop. It's not a tubing river either — too sluggish and marshy in spots to make any real progress.

This launch point sits inside a private campground (Maple River Campground), so river access is tied to camping there or at least coordinating with the staff. It's not a public pull-up-and-launch situation. The campground folks are famously friendly, but don't just roll in unannounced with a boat on top of your car.

AT&T is basically dead here — you'll need to drive about a mile out before you get even one bar. Verizon works. Worth knowing if you're relying on your phone for navigation or coordinating a shuttle for a paddle trip.

The river holds walleye, crappie, and some seriously big flathead catfish. If you can get a small boat or kayak on the water, the fishing makes the effort worthwhile. Just don't expect to cover a lot of river distance — plan on fishing close to where you put in.