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Lake Wissota Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Chippewa power water: Wissota's stained flowage runs walleye classics, muskie folklore and the state park's northern calm.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
85 / 88 F
Wind
N 4 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 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 Wissota offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind N around 4 mph, falling pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 88. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchGood

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Similar at 85 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

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.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp85 F
High / Low88 / 71 F
WindN 4-8 mph
Pressure1009.8 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain22% cloud, 22%
Sunrise / Sunset06:31 / 19:37
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 88/71 F, wind 10 mph, rain 22%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Lake Wissota 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
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 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 Wissota today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 77 F, wind to 15 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 88 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 license. Walleye 15-inch/3 flowage zone; muskie 40-inch: check DNR.

Access

Lake Wissota SP, town of Lafayette ramps.

About this water

6,300 acres on the Chippewa, Chippewa County, WI. The century flowage.

Fishing Lake Wissota: the full guide

The 1918 flowage

Wissota pools the Chippewa River above Eau Claire: a century-old power flowage of stained water, sunken timber and northern Wisconsin's standard menu: walleye as the daily bread, muskies with folklore attached, smallmouth on the riprap, and crappie in the wood.

Flowage program

Walleye work the river channel and bar edges (jigs at the current seams spring, leeches on the mid-lake humps June, cranks at dusk all summer): the stained water keeps them biteable through midday. Muskies patrol the weed lines and timber (the lake's 50-inch stories persist): figure-eights earn their keep.

The supporting cast

Smallmouth hold every rocky face (the dam's riprap the classic), crappie stack the flooded timber each spring, and channel cats run the flowage's flats: with the state park's beach crowd oblivious above. Ice season villages the bars: walleye at dusk, panfish midday.

Chippewa practicalities

Lake Wissota SP anchors access (ramps, camping): town launches fill the map: and the flowage's stumps reward marked-lane humility. Eau Claire's ten minutes make it the valley's daily water: the northern feel starts at the ramp.

Common questions

Is Wissota good for walleye?

The flowage grinds them out on stained-water schedule: channel seams and bar edges, midday honest. It is the valley's dependable gold.

Does Wissota hold big muskies?

The folklore says fifties and the cabbage agrees: fall's big-rubber weeks earn the stories. Wisconsin's quiet trophy water tier.

Where do Wissota's walleye go in summer?

The mid-lake humps and channel edges at 12-20 feet: leeches on slip bobbers at dusk, cranks after dark. The stained water keeps a daytime pick alive on the wind-blown bars: the flowage forgives schedules.

Is fishing good at Lake Wissota 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

Chippewa River4 miWolf River20 miLake Pepin53 miLac Courte Oreilles65 miKinnickinnic River65 miChippewa Flowage67 mi
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