Grass Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Grass Lake belongs to Dane County, Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 925 feet. It runs to roughly 34 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. You are 2.4 miles from Oregon. It is 8.7 miles to Madison, the nearest city. Close neighbours run: Lake Barney at about 3 miles, Island Lake (3.4 miles), Mud Lake at about 4.5 miles, Lake Waubesa (4.5 miles) and Lake Kegonsa at about 5 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Grass Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name brown trout, common carp, bluegill and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Grass Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 16°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about early April to early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Grass Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. The water borders Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife and Natural Area, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lake Barney at 3 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Grass Lake in what we hold.