Quality Fishing Opportunities in Wisconsin

Some Wisconsin lakes and rivers are managed with special regulations which, in many cases, provide quality fishing opportunities. Special regulations for musky, bass, walleye, northern pike are those that differ from the general state-wide regulations. Based on water productivity and fish growth potential, and facilitated by minimum length regulations, anglers fishing in many of these waters will have a good chance of catching a "quality" fish.

This is not a complete list of regulations for these lakes. Be familiar with the fishing regulations for these lakes, including the season(s), bag limits and mimimum length limits.

Muskellunge

Wisconsin has about 775 lakes and streams with thriving musky populations. In an effort to bring back the trophy muskellunge that the state is clearly capable of producing, special fishing regulations are in effect on the following waters:

Areas with a 40-inch minimum length limits:

• All musky waters of Barron, Burnett, Polk, St. Croix and Washburn Counties
• All Wisconsin Michigan boundary waters
• All Wisconsin Minnesota boundary waters

Individual waterbodies with a 40-inch minimum length limit:

• Allequash Lake (Vilas County)
• Allouez Bay (Douglas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Anderson Lake (Oconto County)
• Arbutus Canal (Jackson)
• Arbutus Lake (Clark and Jackson Counties)
• Archibald Lake (Oconto County)
• Big Green Lake (Green Lake County)
• Big Lake ~ T42N R6E S04 (Vilas County)
• Big Lake ~ T43N R08E S13 (Vilas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Big Muskellunge Lake (Vilas County)
• Black River, including East Fork (Clark and Jackson Counties)
• Black River Flowage (Jackson County)
• Bony Lake (Bayfield County)
• Bridge Lake (Lincoln and Oneida Counties)
• Brunet River, from State Highway 70 Bridge downstream to the Chippewa River, including Lake Winter (Sawyer County)
• Buckskin Lake (Oneida County)
• Catherine Lake (Iron County)
• Cedar Lake (Iron County)
• Cloverleaf Lakes, including Pine, Grass and Round Lakes (Shawano County)
• Chippewa River, from the Winter Dam downstream to and including Radisson Flowage (Sawyer County)
• Chippewa River from the Holcombe Flowage to County Hwy D (Chippewa County)
• Crab Lake (Vilas County)
• Dairyland Flowage, upstream to Big Falls Dam (Rusk County)
• Deer Lake (Lincoln County)
• Delavan Lake (Walworth County)
• Eau Claire Lake, Upper (Bayfield County)
• Eau Claire Lake, Middle (Bayfield County)
• Eau Claire Lake, Lower (Douglas County)
• Fisher Lake (Iron County)
• Galilee Lake (Ashland County)
• Gile Flowage (Iron County)
• Holcombe Flowage and the Chippewa River to County Hwy D, Main Creek to State Hwy 194, and the Jump River to County Hwy G. (Chippewa County)
• Julia Lake ~ T38N R11E S12 (Forest and Oneida County)
• Katherine Lake (Oneida County)
• Kentuck Lake (Vilas County)
• Kimballs Bay (Douglas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Lac Vieux Desert (Vilas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Little Pokegema Bay (Douglas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Little Presque Isle Lake (Vilas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Long Lake (Iron County)
• Mamie Lake (Vilas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Mead Lake (Clark County)
• Menominee River (Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water)
• Mercer Lake (Iron County)
• Mississippi River below Prescott, WI (Wisconsin/Minnesota boundary water)
• Moose Lake (Iron County)
• Moose Lake (Sawyer County)
• Morrison Creek (Jackson County)
• Nemadji River (Douglas County)
• Nokomis Lake (Lincoln County)
• Nokimis Lake, upstream to Prairie Rapids Road (Oneida County)
• Papoose Lake (Vilas County)
• Park Lake (Columbia County)
• Pelican Lake (Oneida County)
• Pine Lake (Iron County)
• Pike Lake Chain, includes Buskey Bay, Millicent, Hart, Twin Bear, Eagle, Flynn and McCarry Lakes (Bayfield County)
• Pokegema Bay (Douglas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Potato Lake (Rusk County)
• Potter Flowage (Jackson County)
• Radisson Flowage (Sawyer County)
• Rainbow Flowage (Oneida County)
• Red Lake, Lower (Shawano County)
• Red Lake, Upper (Shawano County)
• Redstone Lake (Sauk County)
• Rice River Flowage (Oneida and Lincoln Counties)
• Riley Lake (Forest County)
• Roberts Lake (Forest County)
• Rock Dam Lake (Clark County)
• Shawano Lake (Shawano County)
• Silver Lake (Columbia County)
• Sissabagama Lake (Sawyer County)
• Smoky Lake (Vilas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Sparkling Lake (Vilas County)
• Spring Lake (Columbia County)
• Springstead Lake, Lower (Iron County)
• Springstead Lake, Upper (Iron County)
• St. Croix River (Wisconsin/Minnesota boundary water)
• St. Louis River estuary and bays (Douglas County) Wisconsin/Minnesota boundary water
• Stella Lake (Oneida County)
• Swan Lake (Columbia County)
• Tenderfoot Lake (Vilas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Trude Lake (Iron County)
• Turtle/Flambeau Flowage (Iron County)
• Twin Valley Lake (Iowa County)
• Two Sisters Lake (Oneida County)
• Wabikon Lake (Forest County)
• Washington Lake (Shawano County)
• West Bay Lake (Vilas County) Wisconsin/Michigan boundary water
• Wilson Lake (Iron County)
• Wingra Lake (Dane County)
• Winter Lake (Sawyer County)
• Wolf River Pond, upstream of the Shawano Paper Mill Dam to the Wisconsin Power and Light (Balsam Row) Dam and the Shawano Lake outlet upstream to the Shawano County Highway HHH bridge (Shawano County)
• Wisconsin River from Wausau Hydro Dam (Marathon County) upstream to Merrill Hydro Dam (Lincoln County)

40 inch minimum length limit in Lac du Flambeau Reservation Waters:

Minimum length limits in these waters are based on an annual agreement between the State of Wisconsin and the Lac du Flambeau Tribe. Please check at the landings for the most current regulations.

• Big Crooked Lake ~ T41 R05E S15 (Vilas County)
• Black Lake (Iron County)
• Bolton Lake (Vilas County)
• Broken Bow (Vilas County)
• Crawling Stone Lake (Vilas County)
• Ellerson Lake, West (Vilas County)
• Fat Lake (Iron County)
• Fence Lake (Vilas County)
• Flambeau Lake (Vilas County)
• Gunlock Lake (Vilas County)
• Haskell Lake (Vilas County)
• Ike Walton Lake (Vilas County)
• Little Crawling Stone Lake (Vilas County)
• Little Sand Lake (Vilas County)
• Little Sugarbush Lake (Deer) (Vilas County)
• Little Trout Lake (Vilas County)
• Long Interlaken Lake (a/k/a "Long Lake") (Vilas County)
• Minnette Lake (Vilas County)
• Moss Lake (a/k/a "Little Mud Lake") (Vilas County)
• Muskesin Lake (a/k/a "Big Bass Lake") (Vilas County)
• Placid Twin Lake, North (Vilas County)
• Placid Twin Lake, South (Vilas County)
• Plummer Lake (Vilas County)
• Poupart Lake (Vilas County)
• Statenaker Lake (Vilas County)
• Stearns Lake (Vilas County)
• Sugarbush Lake, Lower (Vilas County)
• Sugarbush Lake, Middle (Vilas County)
• Sugarbush Lake, Upper (Vilas County)
• Sunfish Lake (Vilas County)
• Tippecanoe Lake (a/k/a "Island Lake") (Vilas County)
• White Sand Lake ~ T41N R05E S22 (Vilas County)
• Whitefish Lake (Vilas County)

45 inch minimum length limit:

• Chippewa Flowage (Sawyer County)
• Little St. Germain (Vilas County)
• Trout Lake (Vilas County)

50 inch minimum length limit:

• Clear Lake ~ T39N R7E S16 (Oneida County)
• Grindstone Lake (Sawyer County)
• Lac Court Oreilles (Sawyer County)
• Lake Michigan waters north of Waldo Boulevard, Manitowoc, WI; Green Bay, and their tributary streams (Marinette, Oconto, Brown, Kewaunee, Door and Manitowoc Counties)
• Namekagon Lake (Bayfield County)

Catch and Release Only:

• Yellowstone Lake, including the Yellowstone River from the lake upstream to County Hwy F (Lafayette County)

Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass

To some anglers, fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass takes a back seat to the pursuit of walleye or muskellunge, but Wisconsin offers many opportunities to tangle with quality fish. Recent regulation changes have improved many of the state's bass populations.

22 inch minimum length limit:

• Lake Superior (includes the Kakagon River and Slough)

18 inch minimum length limit:

• Bass Lake (Price County )
• Bearskin Lake (Oneida County)
• Big Muskego, including Bass Bay (Waukesha County)
• Big Muskellunge Lake (Vilas County)
• Black Lake (Sawyer County)
• Cable Lake (Bayfield County)
• Christner Lake (Sawyer County)
• Columbia Lake (Columbia County)
• Crane Lake (Forest County)
• Crescent Lake (Oneida County)
• Crooked Lake (Bayfield County)
• Dark Lake ~ T32N R8W (Chippewa County)
• Day Lake (Ashland County)
• Delavan Lake (Walworth County)
• Eagle Lake (Racine County)
• East Twin Lake (Ashland County)
• Ellerson Lake, East (Vilas County)
• Ellerson Lake, Middle (Vilas County)
• Evelyn Lake (Iron County)
• Fish Lake (Dane County)
• Forest Lake (Vilas County)
• Fox Lake (Dodge County
• Gunlock Lake (Vilas County)
• Jacqueline Lake (Portage County)
• Jersey Valley Lake (Vernon County)
• Lake Mendota, including Sixmile Creek (downstream from Hwy 19 in Section 8), Pheasant Branch Creek (downstream from Hwy M), Yahara River (downstream from Hwy 19), Cherokee Lake, and Warner Park Lagoons (Dane County)
• Lake Three (Ashland County)
• Lake Twelve (Washington County)
• Lazy Lake (Columbia County)
• Little Clam Lake (Ashland County)
• Little Bass Lake ~ S15, T40N, R8E (Vilas County)
• Long Lake ~ T32, R8W (Chippewa County)
• Luna Lake (Forest County)
• Lund Lake (Bayfield County)
• McKinley Lake (Forest County)
• Mineral Lake (Ashland County)
• Mud Lake (northwest corner of Dane County, west of Fish Lake ~ S3-4, T9N, R7E) (Dane County)
• Murphy Flowage (Rusk County)
• O'Brian Lake (Iron County)
• One Man Lake (Iron County)
• Oneida Lake (Oneida County)
• Papoose Lake (Vilas County)
• Pelican Lake (Oneida County)
• Pickerel Lake (Forest County)
• Pickerel Lake (Langlade County)
• Plum Lake (Vilas County)
• Sailor Lake (Price County)
• Salsich Lake (Vilas County)
• Silver Lake (Kenosha County)
• Sparkling Lake (Vilas County)
• Spillerburg Lake (Ashland County)
• Stella Lake (Oneida County)
• Three Johns Lake (Forest County)
• Trout Lake (Vilas County)
• Trump Lake (Forest County)
• Wabasso Lake (Vilas County)
• West Plum Lake (Vilas County)
• White Deer Lake (Forest County)
• Whitney Lake (Vilas County)
• White Sand Lake - Hwy K ~ T42N, R7E, S27 (Vilas County)
• Wiley Lake (Bayfield County)
• Windfall Lake (Forest County)
• Wisconsin River (including impoundments and sloughs, from the Stevens Point Flowage Dam to the Altech Park spillway) (Portage County)

16 inch:

• Browns Lake (Racine County) - largemouth only
• Pallette Lake (Vilas County) - smallmouth only

14 inch to 18 inch protected slot limit:

• Round Lake ~ S35, T20N, R11E (Waushara County)

Catch and Release Only:

• Big Lake ~ S4, T42N, R6E (Vilas County)
• Bittersweet Lake (Vilas County)
• Oberlin Lake (Vilas County)
• Prong Lake (Vilas County)
• Smith Lake (Vilas County)
• Twin Valley Lake (Iowa County)

Walleye

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's goal is to provide a variety of opportunities for walleye anglers. Wisconsin represents the heart of the national distribution of walleye; they are found naturally in our larger lakes and rivers. Excellent walleye angling opportunities exist in the Mississippi River and pools; the Wisconsin River and its impoundments; Lake Winnebago; the Wolf and Fox River systems; and larger lakes all over Wisconsin, especially in northern Wisconsin.

28 inch minimum length limit:

• Escanaba Lake (Vilas County)
• Fox River upstream to the dam at De Pere Dam (Brown County) March 2 - May 5, 2006 (May 6 - March 4, 2007 - no minimum length limit)
• Kentuck Lake (Forest and Vilas Counties)
• Sand Lake (Sawyer County)
• Sparkling Lake (Vilas County)

20 inch to 28 inch protected slot limit:

• Diamond Lake (Bayfield County)
• Wisconsin River (including Lake Wisconsin, all impoundments and sloughs), upstream from the Prairie du Sac Dam (Sauk County)

20 inch minimum length limit:

• Lac LaBelle (Waukesha County)

18 inch minimum length limit:

• Blackhawk Lake (Iowa County)
• Cox Hollow Lake (Iowa County)
• Crane Lake (Forest County)
• Delavan Lake (Walworth County)
• Fox Lake (Dodge County)
• Grand Portage (Iron County)
• Gunlock Lake (Vilas County)
• Lake Lucerne (Forest County)
• Lake Mendota, including Sixmile Creek (downstream from Hwy 19 in Section 8), Pheasant Branch Creek (downstream from Hwy M), Yahara River (downstream from Hwy 19), Cherokee Lake, and Warner Park Lagoons (Dane County)
• Lee Lake (Richland County)
• Maple Lake (Oneida County)
• Mercer Lake (Iron County)
• Mineral Lake (Ashland County)
• Pickerel Lake (Forest and Langlade Counties)
• Rolling Stone Lake (Langlade County)
• Sand Lake (Rusk County)
• Shishebogama Lake (Oneida County)
• Silver Lake (Columbia County)
• Spider/Moquah Chain (Ashland County)
• Stella Lake (Oneida County)
• Twin Valley Lake (Iowa County)
• Thunder Lake ~ S03 T38N R10E (Oneida County)
• Wisconsin River (including Lake Wisconsin, all impoundments and sloughs) downstream of the Prairie du Sac Dam (Sauk County)
• Wisconsin River (Iowa County)

Northern Pike

Over the past few years, the Fisheries Management program has been working to improve northern pike fishing. Statewide regulations have been implemented, with the following designated as quality waters:

40 inch minimum length limit:

• Big Cedar Lake (Washington County)
• Gilbert Lake (Washington County)
• Lake Mendota, including Sixmile Creek (downstream from Hwy 19 in Section 8), Pheasant Branch Creek (downstream from Hwy M), Yahara River (downstream from Hwy 19), Cherokee Lake, and Warner Park Lagoons (Dane County)
• Twin Valley Lake (Iowa County)

32 inch minimum length limit:

• Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, upstream to the 153 bridge (Marathon County)
• Bond Lake (Douglas County)
• Butternut Lake (Forest County)
• Devil's Lake (Sauk County)
• Delavan Lake (Walworth County)
• Diamond Lake (Bayfield County)
• Fox Lake (Dodge County)
• Franklin Lake (Forest County)
• Jacqueline Lake (Portage County)
• Lake Geneva (Walworth County)
• Largon Lake (Polk County)
• Long Lake ~ S7, T20, R12E (Waushara County)
• Puckaway Lake (Green Lake County)
• Silver Lake (Kenosha County)
• Wilson Flowage (This flowage is northeast of Phillips in the Chequamegon National Forest. Do not confuse it with the Wilson Flowage west of Phillips.) (Price County)
• Wisconsin River, from the Wisconsin Dells Dam upstream to the Lake Du Bay Dam (Columbia, Juneau, Portage, Wood, and Adams Counties)
• Wisconsin River from the Wisconsin Dells Dam upstream (Sauk and Columbia Counties)
• Wisconsin River including impoundments and sloughs (Juneau and Wood Counties
• Wisconsin River downstream from Lake DuBay Dam (Portage County)

Catch and Release Only:

• Yellowstone Lake, including the Yellowstone River from the lake upstream to County Hwy F (Lafayette County)