Goose Lake Fishing near Wautoma, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Waushara County, Goose Lake is a Wisconsin water. This is lake country bush ground. It runs to roughly 25 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The nearest place of any size is Wautoma, 12 miles away. Madison is the closest city, 75 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Goose Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Waushara County records list brown trout, rainbow trout, bluegill and largemouth bass among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Goose Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 70°F and January near 14°F on the long-run figures. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Goose Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Tri-County Area School Forest takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Bullhead Lake, 0.6 miles away. Confirm before you fish Goose Lake.