Hawkos Pond, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Columbia County, Wisconsin, this is Hawkos Pond. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. At 16 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Columbia County. 3.1 miles away sits Rio, the nearest town. Madison is the closest city, 25 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hawkos Pond

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name brown trout, common carp and rainbow trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Hawkos Pond for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 71°F in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between early April and early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Hawkos Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Otsego Marsh takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Grassy Lake at 3 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Hawkos Pond if anything is unclear.