Lake Keesus Fishing near Merton, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Lake Keesus is a Waukesha County water, in Wisconsin. It stands 955 feet above sea level. At about 235 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge covers about 4.1 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. For a base, Merton sits 1.4 miles out. Milwaukee is the closest city, 22 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Keesus

  Surveys put the deepest water at about 42 feet. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Waukesha County include common carp, bluegill, brown trout and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Anyone new to Lake Keesus should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 17°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That is the shape of the year on Lake Keesus.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Merton Millpond 26 at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Lake Keesus.