Fishing at Sy Lake, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Sy Lake falls inside Manitowoc County. Elevation runs to 876 feet. It covers about 13 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 5.5 miles from Kiel. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 39 miles away. In the same area: Wilke Lake out at 1.1 miles, Eaton Twin Lakes some 1.9 miles off, Graf Lake out at 2.2 miles, Cedar Lake some 2.4 miles off and Prueder Lake out at 2.4 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Sy Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Manitowoc County include brown trout, rainbow trout, common carp, Chinook salmon and Coho salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Sy Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 70°F on average, January about 17°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. The season between ice runs from about early April to early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Sy Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Wilke Lake at 1.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Sy Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.