Fishing at Rushing Waters

People can fish year-round at the public trout pond at Rushing Waters Fisheries near Palmyra, Wis., about a two-hour drive from Chicago.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Fries and potato pancakes are some of the sides served with a trout lunch at the Trout House at Rushing Waters.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Crispy potato pancakes make a nice accompaniment to rainbow trout at the Trout House restaurant, where cooks will prepare your freshly caught fish.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Catching fish comes easy at the public pond at Rushing Waters Fisheries, which supplies visitors with everything they need to catch trout. But there’s no catch-and-release here. You catch it, you buy it.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

The Trout House at Rushing Waters will cook your catch and serve it to you in the supper club-like eatery.   ( Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

The Trout House restaurant will prepare your freshly caught trout pan-fried or beer-battered and serve it with several side dishes as part of the lunchtime “hook and cook” option.   ( Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Beer-battered rainbow trout can be had at the Trout House restaurant, whether you caught it yourself or not.   ( Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

The smoked trout chowder is a popular dish at the Trout House restaurant at Rushing Waters Fisheries. It’s made with trout caught on the premises.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Workers at Rushing Waters Fisheries sort the trout in one of the 50-plus ponds on the 80-acre site.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Guests can check in at the main Rushing Waters building, grab a fishing pole and other gear, and make their way down a short path to the public fishing pond, open year-round. There’s no fee to fish, but you must buy what you catch.   ( Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

It didn’t take these two boys long to pluck some rainbow trout out of Rushing Waters’ pond.   ( Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Rushing Waters Fisheries is tucked away in Kettle Moraine State Forest near Palmyra, Wis.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Gary Paul, top, and his son Sam and grandson Theo fish in the public pond at Rushing Waters near Palmyra, Wis.   (John Bordsen/Chicago Tribune )

Rushing Waters manager Peter Fritsch stands by a container full of food pellets used to feed the trout.   ( John Bordsen/Chicago Tribune )

Theo Paul, right, checks out the trout he caught — with a little help from his dad and grandpa.   (John Bordsen/Chicago Tribune )