The Family Behind DJ's Dockside

We didn’t just find a resort.
We found our place on the lake.

For more than twenty years, Nelson Lake has been where Danny and Jess came to slow down, reconnect, and spend time together as a family. Taking on DJ’S Dockside was a chance to continue building on a place they already loved.

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How It Started

Twenty years of summers
led to one decision.

Danny and Jess Kowal first came to Nelson Lake for the same reason most people do: to get away for a while and spend some well-earned time with the family without the stressors of “the real world.” Nelson Lake offered both relaxation on the lake and excitement on the trails. That was more than twenty years ago. They kept coming back every year.

Every summer, it was the same picturesque lake, the same peace, and the permission to slow down and reconnect, or pick up the pace instead with trails, hiking, fishing, and days spent out on the water. When the opportunity came to become part of the resort they’d been returning to for years, it felt like a natural next chapter, in a place that already felt like home. It brought together Danny’s extensive background in the kitchen, Jess’s experience leading operations and hospitality, and a shared vision for creating a place people genuinely look forward to coming back to.

Today, DJ’S Dockside continues that tradition: a lakeside destination built around thoughtfully prepared, crave-worthy food, warm hospitality, and the kind of atmosphere that stays with people long after they leave.

Danny and Jess Kowal, owners of DJ's Dockside Resort
20+ Years on
Nelson Lake
Danny Kowal — General Manager and Executive Chef, DJ's Dockside
Danny Kowal General Manager & Executive Chef
Meet Danny

A chef who's cooked
everywhere — and chose here.

Danny Kowal has spent his career in kitchens where the standards are high and there’s no room for shortcuts. He trained in Paris, where classical technique built a deep respect for ingredients and precision… something he still brings to every dish.

From there, he moved into fast-paced kitchens in New York City, running restaurants in Times Square where everything had to be right, every night. He later brought that same level of consistency and attention to detail to Disney and the Crowne Plaza - places where the experience matters just as much as the food.

Before focusing fully on DJ’S Dockside, Danny also spent twenty years as a Federal Air Marshal - a role that speaks to who he is: steady, disciplined, and someone people can rely on.

At DJ’S Dockside, Danny is in the kitchen and on the floor. He built the menu, trained the team, and sets the standard for every plate that goes out. The food here isn’t an afterthought. It’s one of the main reasons people come back.

Training Classical French — Paris
Experience Times Square · Disney · Crowne Plaza
Previous Career Federal Air Marshal — 20 years
Role at the Resort General Manager & Executive Chef

"I've cooked in some of the best kitchens in the world. But there's something about feeding people at a place they love — on a lake they've been coming to for years — that's different. That's what we're building here."

— Danny Kowal
Meet Jess

The person who makes
it all feel effortless.

Jess Kowal has spent her career building teams, systems, and operations from the ground up; always with a focus on how people experience it. She’s worked in fast-paced environments where expectations are high and the details matter.

She got her start in hospitality as a server, then behind the bar in some of New York City’s busiest spots. She later joined the STARR Restaurant Organization, helping open restaurants in the Meatpacking District and build out their New York corporate office.

Most recently, Jess worked in a senior leadership role at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, overseeing a large fundraising operation. Different setting, same fundamentals of building trust, taking care of people, and making sure things run the way they should.

At DJ’S Dockside, Jess leads operations, guest experience, and everything that keeps the place moving. When things feel easy, smooth, and taken care of… that’s usually Jess.

Hospitality STARR Restaurant Organization · NYC
Leadership University of Minnesota · Carlson School
Specialty Operations · Guest Experience · Team Building
Role at the Resort Owner & Director of Operations

"We want every family that comes here to feel what we felt the first time we came to this lake. That feeling of arriving somewhere and immediately relaxing. That's not an accident — it's something you build, intentionally, every single day."

— Jess Kowal
Jess Kowal — Owner and Director of Operations, DJ's Dockside
Jess Kowal Owner & Director of Operations
What We Believe

We’re building more than a place to stay.
We’re building a place people feel part of.

01

The food matters.

Too many places treat the restaurant like an add-on. We don’t. It’s a big part of why people come here. Northwoods favorites, done right, with the kind of care that makes it worth the drive.

02

Families deserve excellence.

Good doesn’t have to mean formal and it shouldn’t mean exclusive. We believe families should get the same level of food, service, and experience as anywhere else… just in a place where you can relax and be outside.

03

We remember who you are.

This place is personal to us, and we try to keep it that way. You’ll see familiar faces, get to know the staff, and feel like you’ve been here before… even if it’s your first time.

04

The lake is the point.

Everything here is built around Nelson Lake: getting you closer to it and giving you more time on it. The resort is just what makes it easy.

DJ's Dockside at a Glance

Everything you need,
right here on Nelson Lake.

13 Single-Bedroom Motel Suites
2 Two-Bedroom Suites
10 Full-Hookup RV Sites
21 Seasonal Resident Spots
4 Seasons Open
7 Acres on Nelson Lake
Where to Find Us

Nelson Lake.
Hayward, Wisconsin.

We're located on the north shore of Nelson Lake — ten minutes from downtown Hayward and directly on the ATV and snowmobile trail system. The lake is at your doorstep, the trails run through the property, and everything Hayward has to offer is a short drive away.

Address 13045 N Dam Road, Hayward, WI 54834
Phone 715-634-4175
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Come See for Yourself

A lake place
worth finding.

Book a room, reserve a table, or just come up for the day. We'll take it from there.

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Nelson Lake · Hayward, WI
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