Erler Lake in Washington County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Erler Lake sits in Washington County, out in Wisconsin. The water sits 827 feet up. The water covers some 35 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Wisconsin listings. The closest town, Kohler, is 3.8 miles away. Newburg is 4 miles away, with Barton at 4.9 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Erler Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Washington County names common carp, pumpkinseed and green sunfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Take Erler Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 70°F in July and bottom out at 18°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Erler Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Green Lake, 1.2 miles away. Rules at Erler Lake are worth checking on the day.