Beaver Dam Lake Fishing Report

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

A lot of walleye are being caught using new technologies, cutting down on the time it takes to locate them. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is assisting anglers, fishing from a boat, to locate fish. Fishing is better as anglers can focus on areas with good numbers of walleye. This is true for either trolling or casting. Anglers fishing from the bank still have to search the old fashion way, via test casting, until a school is located.

WINTER. This Winter, fishing for walleye has been decent. Before, during and after the ice, anglers report catching them in the main basin area, in 3 to 7 feet of water, along creek channel edges, rocky humps and ledges. Steep drops in the area toward the dam are also producing during these cold months. These same areas in 2 to 7 feet of water are classic spots during the ice fishing season. They primarily feed on small fish, staying close to the bottom.

SPRING. Early Spring brings warming water in the shallows, and draws walleye here to feed, especially rocky areas and inlet channels. After ice-out jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, and worm harness spinners, all work while deep trolling or drifting. In Spring, work points, drop offs, submerged structure, rock ledges, and wind-blown flats adjacent to deeper water. The upriver end of the lake, around Bedker Island is where many walleye make an annual spawn run, starting in late February. Here, in 2 to 5 feet deep, they will spawn once the water warms to the mid to high 40's. When they are shallow, bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers typically catch them. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits are also working when walleye are up shallow. Afterwards, they move to 3 to 7 feet around points, flats, shoals and ledges, nearby shore, often staying in close proximity to their spawning locations. Main lake drop offs tend to produce some nice fish.

SUMMER. Water temperatures rise notably in Summer, and walleye fishing is good. Early in Summer, walleye tend to concentrate in 3 to 6 feet of water, especially around weed edges. As Summer develops they descend in deeper water, around 5 to 7 feet deep. Throughout Summer, early in the morning, and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye a little shallower. At those times they move slightly shallower to feed in low-light conditions. Night fishing is often good in Summer, as well. When the bite is slow, grubs and nightcrawlers, fished just off the bottom typically catch walleye.

FALL. Fall brings cooler temperatures to shallow water, drawing walleye and baitfish into coves and bays. Walleye continue to be a major draw for anglers, even as the weather cools. Locals report catching nice walleye on long points, flats along the river and creek channels, and drop-offs adjacent to shallow flats and inflows. Jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all historically good for catching walleye this time of year. Early in Fall finds them in 3 to 7 feet of water, in late Fall they hold 5 to 7 feet deep. Dragging jigs, bottom bouncers, or worm harnesses with nightcrawlers or leeches, around ledge drop-offs catches walleye fairly consistently. Watch for the bigger walleye to be isolating away from the majority of the school.

Current Fishing Report: Fair To Good

Although forward-facing sonar and other high-tech fish finders were designed for bass fishing, many catfish anglers, who fish from a boat, are now using them to locate channel catfish. With this they are now catching more catfish, by focusing on productive water. The catch rate has increased considerably, and anglers are picking their targets to catch the bigger cats. New baits, line and rigging methods have also improved success for bank fishing enthusiasts. Savvy anglers, who study catfish life cycle and patterns, are still managing to catch nice fish, with or without these new tools.

There is a very healthy population of channel cats here. There are lots of 1 1/2 to 5 pound channel catfish being caught. Boats give ideal access to these river channels, but anglers fishing from the bank are still catching a few. Dodge Memorial Park is a great location for anglers who enjoy fishing from the bank.

WINTER. This cold, Winter weather has channel catfish gathering in the deepest holes available. They are virtually dormant, especially now that the water has cooled into the 40's. They hole up in pockets, deeper channels, ledges, and the basin areas from 6 to 7 feet deep and await warmer water. Slow presentations, especially cut bait, can still entice strikes. Often during mid day, through the afternoon, anglers are catching them a bit shallower on the same structure. While catfish can be caught through the ice, there is very little activity through the ice fishing season.

SPRING. In Spring, when water temperatures rise into the high 40's, channel catfish start their migration into coves, and up the river. Early in the season, look for them 4 to 7 feet deep. They hold here, and feed aggressively, around relatively shallow cover until water warms into the mid 70's, at which time they begin the spawn process in 3 to 6 feet of water. Following the spawn, they move out toward the basin in 6 to 7 feet of water. Anglers are using slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs to get, and keep, the bait close to the bottom. Later in Spring focus on shallower flats, late evening and into the night.

SUMMER. In Summer, slow-moving water, at the river end of the lake may draw catfish to feed. Otherwise they are scattering, locating cover in slightly cooler water. Reports indicate the most successful anglers are using nightcrawlers, cut bait, minnows or shrimp. Most channel cats hold in 5 to 6 feet during the day, and 3 to 5 feet during the night. Fishing from late in the day until midnight produces some of the best results, as this is their prime feeding time.

FALL. Fall is one of the better times of year for catching channel catfish. Early in Fall they cruise the shallows in 3 to 7 feet of water, in search of food. Later, in the season they migrate away from the shallows and current, to moderately deep flats and channel edges on the main body of the lake. Fishing for channel catfish is often productive around any kind of structure. Road beds, stumps, wood, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Drift fishing or slow-trolling baits along mid-depth structure is popular and generally productive. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig setup, with cut bait, nightcrawlers, shrimp or prepared baits. They typically remain in these areas and feed aggressively in preparation for Winter.

Current Fishing Report: Fair

Shallow areas around the dam and from Edgewater Park to Sunset Point are historically good places to find northern pike. Bright colors, whites and flashy lures and spoons all appeal to these predators. Alternate between baits until you identify which one triggers the most bites for the day.

WINTER. Pike remain active in Winter, often congregating in or near remaining weedbeds, especially along the edges. Other structure options include long points, reefs, ledge drop-offs, and rocky humps, ideally nearby deeper water. Look for them in 4 to 6 feet of water before ice over. Weedbeds and shallow flats attract pike early in Winter. Otherwise they hold on structure in 4 to 7 feet of water, occasionally deeper near the Beaver Dam.

SPRING. Note: March and April were closed to pike fishing. Once the season opens, anglers report catching northern pike in the shallows on flashy lures. For many decades the Johnson Spoon has been a deadly bait for northerns, especially when tipped with a white, or bright colored trailer. Jerkbaits, big spinners, swimbaits all catch northerns here. As the water warms, noisy topwater baits like the Whopper Flopper are a good choice. Once water temperatures reach the high 40's, they move into shallow areas with vegetation, to spawn. Ideal depths range from 2 to 6 feet. Big pike stage on points, shallow flats and inside coves. The mouth of Mill Creek inflow is a classic spawning ground. After spawning they linger in the shallow bays for a short period. Once water temperatures rise into the 50's, they move to deeper weedbeds and shallow structures 6 to 7 feet deep, adjacent to even deeper water.

SUMMER. Northern pike scatter all around the lake, rather than gather in groups. This makes them difficult to locate. During the day they are holding shallow around weed beds in 2 to 5 feet of water, or along ledges, reefs, rock piles, islands and channel edges. Some of the larger specimens are suspending in open water, just outside shallow feeding areas. Trolling or drift fishing produces some nice catches, using spoons, big spinners, cut bait, and deep diving crankbaits. Early and late in the day, they move shallow to feed and can be caught around most weedy shorelines, in 2 to 5 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, noisy topwater lures, and Johnson spoons with curly-tail grubs, catch nice pike shallow when they are shallow.

FALL. As the weather starts turning cold, water temperatures cool fastest in the shallows. This brings schools of pike into shallower water. They hang around weedbed edges, main-lake points, flats, islands, and rocky shorelines to ambush prey in 3 to 5 feet of water. This is a prime feeding time, as they prepare for winter. It delivers some of the best action of the year, and is a good time to catch a trophy pike.