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Lake Wisconsin Fishing Report

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

The Wisconsin River impoundment above Prairie du Sac: wild walleye, sauger and smallmouth, fast-growing panfish and a September lake sturgeon season.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
3,100 cfs
Air / High
70 / 70 F
Wind
SSE 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05404000, 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Lake Wisconsin rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The main inflow is running 3,100 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 10 mph, steady pressure near 1023 hPa and a high of 70. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:33 AM-11:33 AM and 10:03 PM-12:03 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

WalleyeGood

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.

Northern pikeGood

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Largemouth bassGood

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.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

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 perchGood

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.

CrappieFair

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 70 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

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 →

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 from WISCONSIN RIVER NEAR WISCONSIN DELLS, WI (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05404000.

2,9193,7704,6223,100 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 92 years of October 23

At 3,100 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 05404000 (WISCONSIN RIVER NEAR WISCONSIN DELLS, WI (inflow)) is at the 21st percentile for the date: below normal. In half of the 92 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 4,095 cfs; the highest was 22,400 cfs and the lowest 1,700 cfs.

p10 2,595median 4,095p90 10,323

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 05404000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp70 F
High / Low70 / 50 F
WindSSE 10-13 mph
Pressure1022.8 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset07:22 / 18:02
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 Wisconsin this week

The best day on Lake Wisconsin this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:33 AM-11:33 AM and 10:03 PM-12:03 AM
Minor period
3:56 AM-4:56 AM
Sun
07:22 to 18:02
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 10 mph
Rain chance
2%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Wisconsin: 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.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

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.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

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.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

When to come: the Lake Wisconsin 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
Northern pike
Crappie
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Yellow perch
Muskellunge
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 Wisconsin today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 6 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 70 F, wind to 7 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 67 F, wind to 8 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 fishing license required. WDNR's 2023 survey describes a 20- to 28-inch protected slot on walleye, sauger and hybrids (harvest 15.0 to 19.9 inches and over 28), year-round hook-and-line fishing except for muskellunge, lake sturgeon, trout and paddlefish, and a September lake sturgeon hook-and-line season. Confirm current limits in the WDNR fishing regulations for Lake Wisconsin and the Wisconsin River.

Access

WDNR counts about 16 public boat landings around the lake, most paved, some with toilets. The free Merrimac Ferry (WIS 113) crosses the lake between Okee and Merrimac, normally April through November.

About this water

A Wisconsin River impoundment of about 9,000 acres behind the Prairie du Sac Dam, Columbia and Sauk counties, Wisconsin; maximum depth 24 feet.

Fishing Lake Wisconsin: the full guide

A shallow river impoundment

Lake Wisconsin formed in 1915 behind the Prairie du Sac Dam, a hydroelectric dam owned by Alliant Energy, and is the lowest impoundment on the Wisconsin River. WDNR's 2023 comprehensive survey gives about 9,000 acres (its lakes database lists 7,197), a maximum depth of 24 feet and 58.2 miles of shoreline in Columbia and Sauk counties. The water is stained and turbid with summer algal blooms, so aquatic plants grow mainly in the shallow bays; the main basin has sand, gravel and rock shorelines.

Walleye, sauger and smallmouth

WDNR calls walleye, sauger and smallmouth bass the dominant gamefish, all sustained by natural reproduction. Its 2023 survey found walleye and sauger abundant and walleye growth excellent, with fish over 15 inches by age 3 and the adult population dominated by the strong 2018 and 2020 year classes. Spring walleye and sauger sampling was done on the Wisconsin River below the Kilbourn Dam at Wisconsin Dells, upstream of the lake. Smallmouth were more common than largemouth and found throughout; largemouth stay in vegetated shallow bays and have declined since the mid-2000s.

Pike, panfish and sturgeon

Northern pike were abundant, with three over 40 inches in the survey. Bluegill, black and white crappie and yellow perch grow faster than state averages, with crappie past 14 inches collected. Stocked muskellunge are present but few were caught. Channel and flathead catfish and white and yellow bass add variety. WDNR estimates about 1,600 adult lake sturgeon of 50 inches or more, which support a month-long hook-and-line season each September; most anglers release them.

Common questions

Are the walleye stocked?

No. WDNR says walleye, sauger and smallmouth in Lake Wisconsin are sustained entirely by natural reproduction; muskellunge are the stocked species.

Is there a sturgeon season?

Yes. WDNR describes a month-long hook-and-line lake sturgeon season each September supported by about 1,600 adults.

Is the Merrimac Ferry free?

Yes. WisDOT runs it free on WIS 113 between Okee and Merrimac, normally April through November; a crossing takes about seven minutes.

Is fishing good at Lake Wisconsin right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake Mendota24 miLake Puckaway31 miCastle Rock Lake35 miBig Green Lake42 miPetenwell Lake48 miKickapoo River52 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05404000 — WISCONSIN RIVER NEAR WISCONSIN DELLS, WI (inflow)
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 19:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.4200, -89.6200 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 5, 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 5, 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.