West Lake Fishing near Pardeeville, Wisconsin

• Overview

  West Lake is listed under Columbia County, Wisconsin. It lies 787 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 19 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It lies lower than most water we list in Wisconsin. Head to Pardeeville, 1.4 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Madison, 33 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on West Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Columbia County cover brown trout, common carp, rainbow trout, largemouth bass and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On West Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 16°F in January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to West Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Breneman Lake, 0.4 miles away. Ask locally about West Lake if anything is unclear.