Fishing at Crooked Lake, Waushara County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Crooked Lake sits in Waushara County, out in Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 1,066 feet. Roughly 26 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Start from Wautoma, 9.2 miles down the road. Further out sit Dakota (10 miles) and Silver Lake (13 miles). Nearby alternatives: Bohn Lake near enough 1.1 miles, Fish Lake (1.2 miles), Deer Lake near enough 2.1 miles, Reeder Lake (2.1 miles) and Bullhead Lake near enough 2.4 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Crooked 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. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Waushara County include brown trout, rainbow trout, bluegill and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Crooked Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 14°F to 70°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Crooked Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Bohn Lake at 1.1 miles is the sensible second choice. For Crooked Lake in particular, ask before you travel.