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Best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin

31 Wisconsin waters hold muskellunge, 6 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 fish of 10,000 casts. Apex predator that shadows weed edges, rock and open-water bait schools.

1. Lake Michigan — Green Bay North and Bays de Noc — 129 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskellunge
2. Lake Michigan — Green Bay South — 128 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
3. Petenwell Flowage — 44 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
4. Lake Mendota — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
5. Chippewa Flowage — 92 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
6. Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
7. Trout Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge
8. Willow Flowage — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
9. Namekagon River — 7 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge
10. Lac Courte Oreilles — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
11. Shawano Lake — 39.5 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
12. Tomahawk Lake — 84 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
13. Big Muskellunge Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
14. Chippewa River — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Muskellunge
15. Two Sisters Lake — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
16. Lake Monona — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
17. Flambeau River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Muskellunge
18. Pelican Lake — 39 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
19. Round Lake — 74 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
20. Pewaukee Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
21. Big Portage Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
22. Lake Namekagon — 51 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
23. Grindstone Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill
24. Escanaba Lake — 26 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
25. Lake Minocqua — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie

…plus 6 more Wisconsin waters holding muskellunge.

When to fish muskellunge in Wisconsin

• Spring 3–12 ft — Post-spawn fish recover in shallow, warming bays — smaller baits, slower work.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep weedlines, rock points and open-water humps near bait schools.
• Fall 8–30 ft — The trophy season: big baits worked slow on steep rock and remaining green weeds.
• Winter 15–35 ft — Mostly dormant; deep basins adjacent to structure.

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 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 lake whitefish lakes

Muskellunge elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Michigan · Montana · Wyoming · North Dakota · Iowa · Indiana · Ohio · Utah · Kentucky · Illinois · West Virginia · New Jersey · Pennsylvania