Carstens Lake Fishing Guide, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Carstens Lake stands in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 745 feet. It covers about 22 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It lies lower than most water we list in Wisconsin. Some 6.8 miles away sits Manitowoc, the nearest settlement. For a city, Green Bay is 37 miles off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Carstens Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Manitowoc County cover brown trout, rainbow trout, common carp and Chinook salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Carstens Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Carstens Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Grosshuesch Lake, 0.6 miles out. Treat Carstens Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.