Fishing at Rush Lake, Winnebago County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Rush Lake belongs to Winnebago County, Wisconsin. The bank is 814 feet above sea level. This is big water, about 5.0 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. You have roughly 17 miles of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. On size it sits at the modest end of our Winnebago County list. The town to know is Ripon, 6.2 miles out. For a city, Green Bay is 57 miles off. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Rush Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Winnebago County include common carp, flathead catfish, river darter and freshwater drum. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Rush Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 16°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Rush Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Gothic Millpond is 6 miles distant. Treat Rush Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.