Kawalski Lake in Portage County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Kawalski Lake lies within the bounds of Portage County, Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 1,112 feet. Surface area runs to about 6 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Portage County are larger. Wautoma sits 13 miles from the bank. Further out sit Mount Morris (14 miles) and Silver Lake (16 miles). Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Kawalski Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Portage County names brown trout, rainbow trout and common carp. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Kawalski Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 70°F and January about 14°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Kawalski Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Walters Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Kawalski Lake is worth confirming on the day.