Walters Lake Fishing near Wautoma, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Walters Lake is set in Portage County, Wisconsin. Everything around it is pine and birch. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. Our Portage County list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Wautoma, is 13 miles distant. Mount Morris lies 14 miles off, Silver Lake another 16 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Walters Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Portage County cover brown trout, rainbow trout, common carp, bluegill and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Walters Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 70°F, while January sits near 14°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Walters Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Piper Lake, 0.2 miles away. Confirm before you fish Walters Lake.