Fishing Mead Lake in Clark County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Wisconsin holds Mead Lake, in Clark County. The setting is mixed forest. This is sizeable water at about 320 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs about 5.2 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Nothing else we list in Clark County covers more water. Nearest town is Greenwood, 7.8 miles off. Thorp is 12 miles and Loyal 13 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mead Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Reported across Clark County: common carp, brown trout, banded darter and johnny darter. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Mead Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 69°F in July and bottom out at 10°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Mead Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Rock Dam Lake, 6 miles out. Confirm before you fish Mead Lake.