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Lake Onalaska Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Lake Onalaska, Pool 7 of the Mississippi above La Crosse: a backwater of about 9,400 acres where Wisconsin DNR's last survey found largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch the most abundant game fish.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~55 F est.
Air / High
69 / 73 F
Wind
SSE 10 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Lake Onalaska feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 10 mph, falling pressure near 1022 hPa and a high of 73. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:40 AM-11:40 AM and 10:10 PM-12:10 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Largemouth bassExcellent

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Yellow perchExcellent

Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

CrappieGood

Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Tomorrow: Similar at 73 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Wisconsin requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $20.00 for residents. What a Wisconsin licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with WI DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Wisconsin, read off the agency, are on the Wisconsin seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp69 F
High / Low73 / 53 F
WindSSE 10-19 mph
Pressure1022.2 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 4%
Sunrise / Sunset07:29 / 18:08
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Lake Onalaska this week

Today is the pick of the week on Lake Onalaska, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
9:40 AM-11:40 AM and 10:10 PM-12:10 AM
Minor period
4:04 AM-5:04 AM
Sun
07:29 to 18:08
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 12 mph
Rain chance
4%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Onalaska: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

When to come: the Lake Onalaska calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Crappie
Largemouth bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Onalaska today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 76 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Wisconsin requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Wisconsin or Minnesota license on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border waters of the Mississippi, which the 2026 regulations define as all waters between the Burlington Northern tracks in Wisconsin and the Canadian Pacific tracks in Minnesota; check whether your spot is inside that line. There, Pools 3-8 allow 4 walleye and sauger combined (walleye 15-inch minimum, only 1 over 20 inches) and 15 each of crappie, sunfish and yellow perch. Carry a paper copy of your license on the refuge (USFWS).

Access

Fred Funk Boat Landing and Lake Onalaska Ramp (Town of Onalaska), Nelson Park Landing (La Crosse County), Upper French Island Spillway Landing (Town of Campbell, fee), Brice Prairie Walk-In Access (carry-in).

About this water

A backwater lake of Mississippi River Pool 7 above Lock and Dam 7, La Crosse County, Wisconsin. USGS has no live gauge on the lake, so this page shows none.

Fishing Lake Onalaska: the full guide

A Mississippi River backwater

Wisconsin DNR surveyed the Lake Onalaska area of Pool 7, about 9,400 acres in La Crosse County, by electrofishing in September 2020. Its crews caught 2,707 fish of 43 species; largemouth bass were the most abundant, followed by bluegill, yellow perch, spotted sucker, emerald shiner and logperch. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, whose Upper Mississippi River refuge manages the lake's waterfowl areas, says anglers on the refuge fish all year for walleye, sauger, bass, perch, catfish, crappie and sunfish.

What the 2020 survey showed

Compared with the DNR's earlier samples in 2008, 2012 and 2016, average sizes of largemouth bass, yellow perch and pumpkinseed had risen by 0.6 to 2.0 inches. Against 24 other Mississippi River sites from Pool 4 to Pool 11, Lake Onalaska's largemouth bass and bluegill were smaller than average and its yellow perch average; body condition of bluegill and largemouth bass was about 10 percent above normal. Overall game fish abundance was below average, but the number of young-of-the-year bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch was well above it.

Fall on the lake

From mid-October to mid-November, during the peak canvasback migration, the refuge asks boaters to stay out of a buoyed voluntary waterfowl avoidance area on Lake Onalaska; USGS gives it as 3,356 acres and describes it as voluntary, with corridors that keep boat routes open between the lake and the river. The Lake Onalaska Closed Area is also closed to migratory bird hunting.

Ramps and landings

Wisconsin DNR's boat access records list the Town of Onalaska's Fred Funk Boat Landing (two lanes, boarding dock) and Lake Onalaska Ramp (one lane, dock and fishing platform), La Crosse County's Nelson Park Landing (two lanes, accessible dock), the Town of Campbell's Upper French Island Spillway Landing (daily fee) and the DNR's Brice Prairie Walk-In carry-in access off Highway ZB. The records date from 2017, so check with the manager before you go.

Common questions

What fish are most common in Lake Onalaska?

In Wisconsin DNR's September 2020 survey, largemouth bass were the most abundant, followed by bluegill and yellow perch.

Can I boat on Lake Onalaska in late fall?

Yes, but from mid-October to mid-November the refuge asks boaters to avoid a buoyed waterfowl avoidance area; it is voluntary and corridors stay open.

Which license do I need on Lake Onalaska?

On the Wisconsin-Minnesota border waters either state's license is valid shore to shore; on refuge land, carry a paper copy.

Is fishing good at Lake Onalaska right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Root River34 miUpper Iowa River35 miWhitewater River38 miKickapoo River41 miMississippi River Pool 949 miLake Pepin57 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.9124, -91.3111 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 12, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 12, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.