McCrossen Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  McCrossen Lake stands in Waupaca County, Wisconsin. The water sits 889 feet up. It runs to roughly 31 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. For a base, King sits 0.9 miles out. Then Waupaca, 4 miles, and Amherst, 10 miles. Also on the doorstep: Nessling Lake 0.2 miles, Limekiln Lake sits 0.4 miles out, Miner Lake 0.4 miles, Round Lake sits 0.5 miles out and Columbia Lake 0.7 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on McCrossen Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Waupaca County include brown trout, flathead catfish, rainbow trout and common carp. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish McCrossen Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 70°F and January near 15°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around early April to about early December in an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on McCrossen Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Becker Marine sits half a mile away and handles boats. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Nessling Lake, 0.2 miles away. The position on McCrossen Lake is worth confirming on the day.