Petenwell Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Wisconsin holds Petenwell Lake, in Adams County. It lies 915 feet above sea level. It covers about 36.0 sq miles, which means weather matters as much as tactics. The water reaches back into a network of arms, each one worth a session of its own. By surface area it heads our Adams County listings. For supplies, Rome is 9.6 miles out. It is 79 miles to Madison, the nearest city. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Petenwell Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Public occurrence data for Adams County names brown trout, bluegill, common carp and rainbow trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Petenwell Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 14°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about early April and return around early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Petenwell Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Twin Lakes at 6.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Petenwell Lake as something to verify.