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Best freshwater drum lakes in Wisconsin

20 Wisconsin waters hold freshwater drum, 3 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The hardest-pulling fish nobody brags about. Roams current seams and mussel beds — bites all day.

1. Lake Winnebago — 21 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike
2. Lake Butte des Morts — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
3. Petenwell Flowage — 44 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
4. Lake Wisconsin — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
5. Lake Mendota — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
6. Castle Rock Flowage — 35 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
7. Lake Poygan — 11 ft max · Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
8. Lake Koshkonong — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
9. Chippewa River — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge
10. Wolf River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
11. Lake Monona — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
12. Lake Kegonsa — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
13. Lower Wisconsin River — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish
14. Wisconsin River (Dells) — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Crappie
15. Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
16. Black River — 9 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
17. Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
18. Peshtigo River — 9 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum
19. St. Croix River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge
20. Fox River (Lower) — 14 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge

When to fish freshwater drum in Wisconsin

• Spring 5–20 ft — Big spring runs into current — gravel bars and creek mouths.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Channel edges and mussel beds; drum feed by ear — a dragging bait gets found.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Schools slide toward deep holes; slow bottom presentations.
• Winter 15–45 ft — Deep and slow.

Also in Wisconsin: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes

Freshwater Drum elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Kentucky · Texas · Illinois · Kansas · Tennessee · Missouri