Schisel Lake Fishing Guide, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Schisel Lake belongs to Manitowoc County. Height above sea level is 764 feet. It covers about 13 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Ground here is low by Wisconsin standards. Some 2.5 miles away sits Cato, the nearest settlement. Further out sit Reedsville (7.1 miles) and Manitowoc (8.4 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Schisel Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Manitowoc County cover brown trout, rainbow trout, common carp and Chinook salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Schisel Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 17°F to 69°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Schisel Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Bergene Lake is 0.7 miles off. Signs at Schisel Lake carry more weight than any list.