Navigation Home - AA-Fishing Lakes Fish

Best Fishing Lakes In Wisconsin

Pick A LakePick A SpeciesPick A State

Guide to top places to fish for bass, catfish, walleye and more in WI.

By AA-Fishing Staff Writers

Castle Rock Lake, Lake DuBay, Lake Mendota, Lake Onalaska, Lake Winnebago, Lake Wisconsin, Petenwell Lake and Turtle Flambeau Flowage are the most popular places for fishing in Wisconsin, offering anglers the chance to pursue a variety of fish species, some while ice fishing in winter. The purpose of this page is to share basic information about the best fishing lakes in the state, and the species found in each lake. The Boat Rental Page lists options for fishing boat rentals at some of these lakes.

  • Beaver Dam Lake, WI
  • Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, WI
  • Big Green Lake, WI
  • Castle Rock Lake, WI
  • Fence Lake, WI
  • Geneva Lake, WI
  • Gile Flowage Lake, WI
  • Grindstone Lake, WI
  • Holcombe Flowage, WI
  • Lac Courte Oreilles, WI
  • Lac Vieux Desert, WI
  • Lake Butte des Morts, WI
  • Lake Chippewa, WI
  • Lake DuBay, WI
  • Lake Kegonsa, WI
  • Lake Koshkonong, WI
  • Lake Mendota, WI
  • Lake Monona, WI
  • Lake Namekagon, WI
  • Lake Onalaska, WI
  • Lake Pepin, WI
  • Lake Poygan, WI
  • Lake Puckaway, WI
  • Lake Winnebago, WI
  • Lake Winneconne, WI
  • Lake Wisconsin, WI
  • Lake Wissota, WI
  • Long Lake, WI
  • Pelican Lake, WI
  • Petenwell Lake, WI
  • Pewaukee Lake, WI
  • Rainbow Flowage, WI
  • Shawano Lake, WI
  • Shell Lake, WI
  • Tomahawk Lake, WI
  • Trout Lake, WI
  • Turtle Flambeau Flowage, WI
  • Willow Reservoir, WI

Wisconsin boasts a wide variety of fishing lakes, including both warm water lakes and cold water lakes, offering anglers diverse opportunities to pursue their favorite species.

Warm water lakes in Wisconsin are known for their abundance of popular game fish species such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, muskie, and panfish like bluegill and crappie. These lakes provide excellent angling experiences during the summer months when water temperatures are warmer. Anglers can target bass and panfish using a variety of techniques, including casting with artificial lures, live bait fishing, or fly fishing.

On the other hand, Wisconsin's cold water lakes are home to prized species like trout and salmon. These lakes have cooler water temperatures year-round, making them ideal habitats for species such as rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, and Chinook salmon. Anglers can experience exceptional trout and salmon fishing in these lakes, particularly during the spring and fall seasons when these fish are more active and feeding close to the surface.

In addition to the popular warm water and cold water species, Wisconsin fishing lakes also support a diverse range of other fish species, including channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass, yellow perch, and more. Each lake has its own unique characteristics, providing anglers with opportunities to target specific species based on their preferences and fishing techniques.

Whether you prefer fishing in warm water lakes for bass and panfish or exploring the depths of cold water lakes for trout and salmon, Wisconsin's fishing lakes offer a wealth of options for anglers of all skill levels. It's important to familiarize yourself with local fishing regulations, including size and bag limits, as well as any special rules or restrictions that may apply to specific lakes.

Fishing Boats For Rent In WI


Bass Fishing Lakes

Largemouth Bass
Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass

Big Green Lake, Castle Rock Lake, Fence Lake, Grindstone Lake, Holcombe Flowage, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac Vieux Desert, Lake Chippewa, Lake du Bay, Lake Kegonsa, Lake Koshkonong, Lake Michigan, Lake Monona, Lake Mendota, Lake Namekagon, Lake Onalaska, Lake Pepin, Lake Puckaway, Lake Winnebago, Petenwell Lake, Pewaukee Lake and Shell Lake are considered the best options for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. More...


Catfish Fishing Lakes

Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish

Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish

Big Green Lake, Castle Rock Lake, Lake du Bay, Lake Monona, Lake Mendota, Lake Onalaska, Lake Winnebago, Lake Wisconsin and Turtle Flambeau Flowage are favorite options for channel, blue, white and flathead catfish. More...


Crappie Fishing Lakes

Black Crappie
Black Crappie

White Crappie
White Crappie

Castle Rock Lake, Geneva Lake, Lake du Bay, Lake Kegonsa, Lake Namekagon, Lake Onalaska, Lake Winnebago, Lake Wisconsin, Pelican Lake, Rainbow Flowage, Shawano Lake, Shell Lake, Tomahawk Lake and Turtle Flambeau Flowage are the most popular for black and white crappie. More...


Sunfish, Panfish & Perch Fishing Lakes

Bluegill
Bluegill

Green Sunfish
Green Sunfish

Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Pumpkinseed Sunfish

Rock Bass
Rock Bass

Warmouth
Warmouth

White Bass
White Bass

White Perch
White Perch

Yellow Bass
Yellow Bass

Yellow Perch
Yellow Perch

Beaver Dam Lake, Castle Rock Lake, Lac Vieux Desert, Lake Butte des Morts, Lake du Bay, Lake Kegonsa, Lake Koshkonong, Lake Mendota, Lake Onalaska, Lake Pepin, Lake Poygan, Lake Winnebago, Lake Winneconne, Lake Wisconsin, Rainbow Flowage and Willow Reservoir are popular spots to fish for bluegill, bream, perch and other sunfish. More...


Walleye Fishing Lakes

Walleye
Walleye

Sauger
Sauger

Saugeye
Saugeye

Beaver Dam Lake, Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Big Green Lake, Fence Lake, Geneva Lake, Gile Flowage Lake, Grindstone Lake, Holcombe Flowage, Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Chippewa, Lake du Bay, Lake Kegonsa, Lake Koshkonong, Lake Mendota, Lake Namekagon, Lake Pepin, Lake Poygan, Lake Superior, Lake Winnebago, Lake Wisconsin, Long Lake, Pelican Lake, Petenwell Lake, Shawano Lake, Trout Lake and Turtle Flambeau Flowage are considered the top locations for walleye fishing. More...


Trout Fishing Lakes

Rainbow trout
Rainbow trout

Brook trout
Brook trout

Brown trout
Brown trout

Lake trout
Lake trout

Green Lake, Lake Geneva, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are the favorite options for rainbow, brook, brown and lake trout. More...


Muskie & Northern Fishing Lakes

Muskie
Muskie

Northern Pike
Northern Pike

Beaver Dam Lake, Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Big Green Lake, Castle Rock Lake, Chetac Lake, Fence Lake, Geneva Lake, Gile Flowage Lake, Grindstone Lake, Holcombe Flowage, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac Vieux Desert, Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Chippewa, Lake du Bay, Lake Kegonsa, Lake Koshkonong, Lake Michigan, Lake Monona, Lake Mendota, Lake Namekagon, Lake Onalaska, Lake Pepin, Lake Poygan, Lake Puckaway, Lake Superior, Lake Winnebago, Lake Wisconsin, Lake Wissota, Long Lake, Pelican Lake, Petenwell Lake, Pewaukee Lake, Rainbow Flowage, Shawano Lake, Shell Lake, Tomahawk Lake, Trout Lake, Turtle Flambeau Flowage and Willow Reservoir.


Visit the Wisconsin fishing page for links to information covering a wide variety of fish species and destinations in the state. Visit the Wisconsin map to identify your best route to these top fishing locations.

 

Best Destinations By State.

AL Fishing Lakes AR Fishing Lakes AZ Fishing Lakes CA Fishing Lakes CO Fishing Lakes CT Fishing Lakes DC Fishing Lakes DE Fishing Lakes FL Fishing Lakes GA Fishing Lakes HI Fishing Lakes IA Fishing Lakes ID Fishing Lakes
IL Fishing Lakes IN Fishing Lakes KS Fishing Lakes KY Fishing Lakes LA Fishing Lakes MA Fishing Lakes MD Fishing Lakes ME Fishing Lakes MI Fishing Lakes MN Fishing Lakes MO Fishing Lakes MS Fishing Lakes MT Fishing Lakes
NC Fishing Lakes ND Fishing Lakes NE Fishing Lakes NH Fishing Lakes NJ Fishing Lakes NM Fishing Lakes NV Fishing Lakes NY Fishing Lakes OH Fishing Lakes OK Fishing Lakes OR Fishing Lakes PA Fishing Lakes
RI Fishing Lakes SC Fishing Lakes SD Fishing Lakes TN Fishing Lakes TX Fishing Lakes UT Fishing Lakes VA Fishing Lakes VT Fishing Lakes WA Fishing Lakes WI Fishing Lakes WV Fishing Lakes WY Fishing Lakes

082324*