Etter Lake Fishing Guide, Waukesha County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Etter Lake is a Waukesha County water, Wisconsin side. The surface lies 1,024 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 10 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Waukesha County standards. The town to know is Wales, 3.9 miles out. After that come Pewaukee at 4 miles and Delafield at 4.7 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Etter Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Waukesha County cover common carp, bluegill and brown trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Etter Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in January to roughly 71°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. At Etter Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Salow Lake 1, 0.9 miles away. Ask locally about Etter Lake if anything is unclear.