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Best lake sturgeon lakes in Wisconsin

43 Wisconsin waters list lake sturgeon (official records or labelled estimates), 3 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. A living fossil and the biggest fish in the north country — a bottom-feeding giant managed as a trophy, mostly catch-and-release fishery.

1. Lake Winnebago — 21 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 26 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
2. Lake Pepin — 50 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Chippewa Flowage — 92 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #3: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 7 public access sites
4. Lake Mendota — 80 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 17 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Castle Rock Lake — 35 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #5: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 7 public access sites
6. Holcombe Flowage — 62 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #6: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Shawano Lake — 39.5 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #7: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 12 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
8. Dairyland Reservoir (Flambeau) — 70 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #8: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 6 public access sites
9. Chippewa River — 12 ft · Approximated contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #9: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 7 public access sites
10. Kinnickinnic River — 7 ft · Approximated contours · Rainbow Trout, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout, Brook TroutWhy #10: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · no verified access record attached
11. Wisconsin R Fl C3-Stevens Pt — 25 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #11: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 3 public access sites
12. Little Lake Butte Des Morts — 18 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 2 public access sites
13. Butternut Lake — 32 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #13: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 4 public access sites
14. Wisconsin River (Dells) — 12 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #14: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 9 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Black River — 9 ft · Approximated contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #15: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 7 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
16. Yellow Lake — 31 ft · Approximated contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #16: mapped size signal; check the water page for depth coverage · 3 public access sites

…plus 27 more Wisconsin waters holding lake sturgeon.

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When to fish lake sturgeon in Wisconsin

• Spring 3–15 ft — Spawning runs stack fish below rapids, dam faces and river mouths — check the regs, many runs are closed water.
• Summer 15–40 ft — Soft-bottom flats and holes near current — sturgeon vacuum larvae and snails off the mud, mostly after dark.
• Fall 15–45 ft — The prime rod-and-reel season — fish feed hard on deep mud and channel bends before winter.
• Winter 20–60 ft — Fish pod up over deep mud basins — the famous Winnebago spear season happens over exactly this pattern.

Also in Wisconsin: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass 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 freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best rock bass lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes

Lake Sturgeon elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Michigan