5 Reservoir Fishing in Sauk County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, 5 Reservoir belongs to Sauk County. The surface lies 896 feet up. Reedsburg lies 12 miles from the water. The big place round here is Madison, 39 miles distant. Not far off: White Mound Lake 0.9 miles away, 1 Reservoir (11 miles), Seeley Lake 11 miles away, 0.27 Reservoir (13 miles) and 1 Reservoir 13 miles away. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on 5 Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Sauk County records list brown trout, rainbow trout and common carp among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At this water the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 15°F at the bottom of winter. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about early December in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On this water the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. White Mound Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at this water are worth checking on the day.