Horseshoe Bayou in Waupaca County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Waupaca County in Wisconsin is where Horseshoe Bayou sits. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. About 14 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Wisconsin listings. New London lies 5 miles from the water. Green Bay is the closest city, 41 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Bayou

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Reed and marsh margins hold fish through the moving hours. Oyster and old piling give the only hard structure in sight. Records held for Waupaca County cover brown trout, flathead catfish, rainbow trout, common carp and bluegill. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Horseshoe Bayou a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 15°F in January up to 70°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That shapes the year on Horseshoe Bayou.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Traders Bayou, 0.9 miles away. Confirm access to Horseshoe Bayou locally before you travel.