Cornell Lake in Waukesha County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Cornell Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The country here is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 15 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Waukesha County. Some 3 miles away sits Hartland, the nearest settlement. Further out sit Nashotah (3 miles) and Okauchee Lake (3.2 miles). The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Cornell Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Waukesha County names common carp, bluegill and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Cornell Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 17°F in January and 71°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Cornell Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. North Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Cornell Lake as something to verify.