Stretching from Fond du Lac to Appleton, a distance of about 30 miles, Lake Winnebago is a boater's joy as well. The marina in Fond du Lac's Lakeside Park is a busy place throughout the summer, as are the 180 slips in the park. The summer months are also a time for windsurfers and Lake Winnebago is heralded as the best in the midwest for this unique water sport. In mid-winter, when the lake freezes over, the telltail trails of snowmobiles are everywhere and the shelters of ice fishers dot the white of the scene, especially during late February's sturgeon season. Ice hockey commands attention, thanks to the efforts of the Blue Line Hockey Club which organizes teams of youngsters who play on two indoor ice rinks at Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds.
Figure skating is also a primary recreational activity at the ice centers.
The 400 acres of islands and lakefront that make up Fond du Lac's Lakeside Park are a focal point for outdoor activity throughout the summer. Created in the late 1800s, the park offers playgrounds, picnic sites, baseball fields, picturesque lagoons, boat ramps, shoreline fishing, a petting zoo, old fashioned children's rides, canoe rentals, snack shop, and band concerts in a handsome gazebo. In a career that spans 32 years in the sport of judo, Lynn Roethke reigns as one of the most accomplished American women athletes in the history of the sport. Lynn is the first women to be elected to the Black Belt Hall of Fame, and is a silver medalist in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and an Olympic Team Member in Barcelona in 1992. The city's Community Aquatic Center, with two pools under roof, provides year-round swimming opportunities.