Hempton Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Hempton Lake in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 804 feet. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Wisconsin listings. The closest town, Cato, is 0.5 miles away. Reedsville lies 5.2 miles off, Manitowoc another 11 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Hempton Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Manitowoc County cover brown trout, rainbow trout, common carp and Chinook salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Hempton Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 69°F, with January the cold end at about 17°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around early December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Hempton Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Schisel Lake, 2.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Hempton Lake carry more weight than any list.