Smoky Hill Flowage near Stratford: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Smoky Hill Flowage is a Marathon County water, in Wisconsin. It lies 1,112 feet above sea level. With some 41 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Some 10 miles away sits Stratford, the nearest settlement. Mosinee follows at 12 miles, then Marshfield at 13 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Smoky Hill Flowage

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Survey and observation records for Marathon County include brown trout, common carp, yellow perch, bluegill and black crappie. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Smoky Hill Flowage gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 69°F at the top of summer and 12°F at the bottom of winter. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Smoky Hill Flowage more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try North Smoky Hill Flowage, 0.4 miles away. Confirm before you fish Smoky Hill Flowage.