Fishing at Goose Lake, Dane County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Goose Lake sits within Dane County in Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 853 feet. At 16 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Dane County list. Deerfield at 4.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. Then Marshall, 4.9 miles, and Waterloo, 6.1 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Goose Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name brown trout, common carp, bluegill and rainbow trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat Goose Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 17°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Goose Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records show it does not hold water year-round. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Mud Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Confirm access to Goose Lake locally before you travel.