Summer is a beautiful time to plunge, fish, and have a picnic. But there’s no activity as exciting as fishing on a Wisconsin river. These days, almost everyone knows where to fish in Wisconsin because of its reputation for quality fishing.
The rivers and lakes throughout the state are full of bass, walleye, northern pike, trout, crappie, and other fish that provide an endless source of pleasure for anglers, from beginners to experts.
Nonetheless, this raises the question of which are the best places to go Wisconsin river fishing?
This article will guide you through Wisconsin’s rivers and lakes to know what it takes to get the most out of your trip. Furthermore, this article will make fishing in Wisconsin a memorable one. So keep on reading!
6 Best Areas To Fish
If you are always on the shore, lake, and rivers, you’ll find that there are always some areas that are better for fishing. But choosing the best area to angle, in general, can be challenging.
Which one has the most variety of sizes and species of fish? And how will you know which is the best fishing spot in each area? Let’s find out below.
1. Downstream Areas With Sand Flats
Sand flats are extended flat areas of sand found in the river stretch of the Wisconsin River. They are formed when sand accumulates on the surface, resulting in underground sand layers.
You can find good species such as walleyes and sauger from these areas, easy to catch during late spring. If you think of a good bait to use, crankbaits are a good option for fishing here.
2. Shoreline Areas
The shoreline areas are the natural areas along the Wisconsin River. You can use crankbaits and find a good catch of smallmouth bass, northern pike, and walleyes.
Thus, if you’re lucky, you can even take good size musky in this shallow water of the Wisconsin River and hit the bag limit!
3. Weedy Areas
The Wisconsin River possesses some of the world’s best freshwater game fish like walleye, sturgeon, and northern pike. Weedy areas are also home to big panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish.
4. Rocks, Woods, Humps, and Bridge Abutments
River fishing near these areas could lead you to success. The key is to look for rocks, woods, humps, sand bars, and bridge abutments.
The bait in these areas primarily conserves energy while the current breaks near the rocks, woods, humps, bridge abutments, and more.
You can find many kinds of a catch here, such as sturgeon, catfish, largemouth, walleye, smallmouth bass, and even flathead catfish.
5. Prairie Du Sac Dam
Now you can enjoy jam-packed walleye and sauger action in the same stream of Prairie du sac dam. Move downstream and look for current breaks and slack water areas to get in on this action.
Prairie Du Sac dam can be a great fishing spot for anglers.
6. Lower Wisconsin River
Aside from Prairie Du Sac Dam, the Lower Wisconsin River is one of the most under-fished areas with Sauk City and Prairie du Sac, which flows along 90 miles at the Mississippi River.
This area offers great scenery and a good number of walleye, sturgeon, musky, and more.
Fish Species To Catch At Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River is a great place for fishing for nearly every species, such as crappies, white bass, and walleye. If you’ve been thinking about fishing the Wisconsin River, now’s your chance to make the most of it!
The Wisconsin River has been a mecca for anglers. And because of this, there are many different species of fish that anglers can find there.
Nevertheless, it would be beneficial if you made an effort to catch one or more of these cool catches on your next fishing trip.
- Channel catfish
- Flathead catfish
- White bass
- Musky
- Northern pike
- Walleye
- Bowfin
- Trout
- Largemouth and smallmouth bass
- Minnows
- Sturgeon
Anglers can also find rare catches on the lower Wisconsin River, such as black buffalo and west sand darter.
Fishing Boat To Use at Wisconsin River
When fishing at the Wisconsin river, you don’t want to use a deep v hull boat. Anglers prefer to use flat-bottom Jon boats.
Furthermore, you can use canoes, small fishing boats, or a kayak. Most likely, the stretch of the Wisconsin River has shallow waters, which prevent big v hull boats from fishing there.
Additionally, most anglers prefer to use a fishing boat with 20 hp to fish on the river without disturbing the calm and constant current. These specs allow the bait to live comfortably on shallow parts of the river.
But, if you are concerned about fishing slowly in the river, there are jet engines that you can try. This engine is ideal for running in the river at high speed yet keeps the river current comfortable for the creatures under.
Note that if you are looking for anything you need, a town like Sauk City can offer you good help, such as docking, motels, restaurants, and gear.
Necessities When Fishing At Wisconsin River
When you go fishing, you want to make sure you have all of the necessary equipment. To enjoy this breathtaking fishing experience, you need some basic things to take with you to the Wisconsin River.
Make sure you bring the right fishing boat with flat bottoms, as mentioned above, when fishing. Some necessities also include a transom-mounted trolling motor for going against a current and an LCD fish locator to see underwater structures.
Furthermore, during the spring season, there are parts of the river that reach 30 feet deep. An LCD locator might help you with that.
Lastly, a 20-pound anchor keeps you in place from good fishing locations.
Insider Tips
Although fishing is a popular activity, some anglers can’t fish professionally. It can be quite nerve-wracking to go fishing yourself, especially when you are not experienced. Here are some fishing tips for beginners who want to fish like a pro.
- Troll against the water current.
- Fish near any structure that breaks the current.
- Take practice to learn to read the breaks of the water.
- Live bait is way good for catching fish.
Conclusion
Even if you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, there’s one thing we all need to know: The more you fish, the better it gets, and the better you will become.
Nevertheless, if you want to try Wisconsin river fishing, this guide will surely help you with that!
Just keep in mind that the more time and effort you put into fishing, the better your chances of catching a big one for yourself and sharing it with others. So, gear up and go angling!
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