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Published: June 23, 2008 11:28 am
Nearby lakes offer activities for fun seekers
By SHEILA SELMAN
sheila.selman@goshennews.com
(Part 3 of a series)
SYRACUSE, Ind. — Summer fun seekers have to look no further than their backyard.
The largest natural lake in Indiana is located in Syracuse — Lake Wawasee. Adjoining it is Syracuse Lake.
They’re not the only two lakes in Kosciusko County, though. According to a guide of Kosciusko County, there are 68 lakes that landscape the county. So take your pick.
Syracuse Lake, Lake Wawasee
The lakes offer lots of summertime activities that don’t always necessarily involve owning a boat.
Each Saturday morning, beginning at 10, and Sundays beginning at 9:30 a.m. through Labor Day, people can watch the Wawasee Yacht Club Regatta. Lasers and Sunfish race on Saturdays and E-Scrows and Lightnings race on Sundays.
Lakeside Park in Syracuse offers public a public beach and playground.
Other upcoming summer events in Syracuse include:
• Concert — The Fort Wayne Philharmonic will perform at Oakwood Park at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
• Independence Day — Fireworks on Syracuse Lake will take place July 4. Lake Wawasee fireworks are set for July 5.
• Lake Wawasee Flotilla — The annual flotilla is scheduled for July 12, with a rain/wind day of July 13.
• Art show — More than 300 Indiana Plein Air Painters will be in town July 12 and 13 to paint.
• Pickwick Theater offers free movies each Wednesday through August, beginning at 10 a.m. The schedule is posted on the Chamber of Commerce window.
Artists will have an art show and sale July 13 at the South Shore Country Club Pavilion from 1 to 3 p.m.
For those who want to be on the lake but don’t own a watercraft, there are other options.
AAA Boat Rental offers jet skis, ski boats and pontoon boats for rent.
Wawasee Boat Co. rents pontoon boats, and Smokey’s Landing rents fishing boats.
The S.S. Lilypad, based at The Frog restaurant and bar, offers cruises.
Those who do have their own boat, can access the Lake Wawasee public ramp along Hatchery Road. Syracuse Lake also offers a public ramp, which can be found behind Beef’s Booze Barn along the railroad tracks. Both accesses are free.
And once out cruising Lake Wawasee, boaters can idle at the sandbar, fish, waterski, tube or simply enjoy the waves. Just remember those lifejackets and the rules of the water. Conservation officers keep a close watch on the two lakes.
To learn more about boating rules and regulations, go online to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Web site. www. in.gov/dnr or to lakewawasee.net.
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