Fishing at Becker Lake, Columbia County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Columbia County end of Wisconsin holds Becker Lake. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. At about 89 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. A shoreline of some 1.8 miles keeps the choices simple. Ground here is low by Wisconsin standards. Supplies mean a trip to Pardeeville, 5.3 miles off. The big place round here is Madison, 38 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Becker Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Columbia County cover brown trout, common carp and rainbow trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Becker Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 71°F for July and 16°F for January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about early April to early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. At Becker Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Cuff Lake, 1.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Becker Lake should be assumed from this page alone.