As a midwesterner myself, I have the same potential range of uses. The problem with your situation is that your two intended uses conflict (probably). If you're talking about rivers like Sugar Creek in the Shades/Turkey Run area you will need a maneuverable kayak (at the expense of tracking). If you are doing serious paddling in the great lakes, you will want one that tracks like a train. If your river use is more like the Wabash or larger rivers, the Chesapeake 17 would probably meet both demands fairly well. I do not think it would give you enough maneuverability on smaller, shallow streams/rivers.

I built Nick's Guilemot stich & glue and shortened it to around 15'6" for river use. If I ever get the time and kahunas for open water in the great lakes, I'll have to build another boat (not altogether a bad thing). Maybe the addition of a retractible skeg could give me the tracking I'd need, but I have no experience there.