Fishing Hogan Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Hogan Lake is listed under Waukesha County, Wisconsin. It lies 807 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 9 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Waukesha County list. Eagle lies 3.6 miles from the water. Milwaukee sits 29 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Hogan Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Waukesha County, recorded fish include common carp, bluegill, brown trout, rainbow trout and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Hogan Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 18°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. At Hogan Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Rainbow Springs Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Hogan Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.