Lake Butte des Morts, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Butte des Morts stands in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 741 feet. Surface area runs to some 13.4 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. It is one of the larger waters we list anywhere in Wisconsin. Winneconne is the closest place, 4.6 miles off. It is 43 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Butte des Morts

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Winnebago County: common carp, flathead catfish, river darter and freshwater drum. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Lake Butte des Morts to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 16°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That shapes the year on Lake Butte des Morts.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lake Winneconne, 6.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lake Butte des Morts are worth checking on the day.