Lake Barney in Dane County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Barney is a Dane County water, Wisconsin side. Height above sea level is 938 feet. It measures about 27 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Oregon is the closest place, 1.9 miles off. For a city, Madison is 8.7 miles off. Within a short drive: Lake Harriett out at 2.4 miles, Grass Lake 3 miles, Goose Lake out at 5.5 miles, Island Lake 6 miles and Lake Waubesa out at 6.4 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lake Barney

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Dane County: brown trout, common carp, bluegill, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lake Barney that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 16°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Lake Barney the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lake Harriett, 2.4 miles away. Nothing on Lake Barney should be assumed from this page alone.