Fishing at Lake Mallalieu, Saint Croix County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  This water sits in Saint Croix County, Wisconsin. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. At some 289 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The outline measures near 4.4 miles, so local knowledge counts. On our Saint Croix County list it sits near the top for size. North Hudson sits 0.7 miles from the bank. Saint Paul sits 17 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lake Mallalieu

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Records held for Saint Croix County cover brown trout, rainbow trout and common carp. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lake Mallalieu responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 72°F for July and 12°F for January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Lake Mallalieu rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a ramp at Lake Mallalieu Boat Launch, half a mile out. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Little Falls Lake, 2.9 miles away. Where Lake Mallalieu is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.