Pope Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Waupaca County end of Wisconsin holds Pope Lake. It sits at 892 feet above sea level. At 14 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Some 2.7 miles away sits King, the nearest settlement. For a city, Green Bay is 60 miles off. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply. Population of King sits near 1,800 people.

• Where to Fish on Pope Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Waupaca County include brown trout, flathead catfish and rainbow trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Pope Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 15°F to 70°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Pope Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Picnic facilities are recorded some half a mile out. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Part of this sits inside or beside Hartman Creek State Park, so read the notices. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Manomin Lake is 0.2 miles off. Confirm access to Pope Lake locally before you travel.