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Best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin

717 Wisconsin waters list muskellunge (official records or labelled estimates), 40 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. 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 · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, MuskellungeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
2. Lake Michigan — Green Bay South — 128 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 27 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Lake Winnebago — 21 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 26 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Petenwell Flowage — 44 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 19 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Lake Butte des Morts — 8 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
6. Chippewa Flowage — 92 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
7. Turtle-Flambeau Flowage — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
8. Menominee River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 12 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Lake Mendota — 80 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 17 public access sites, 5 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Castle Rock Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
11. Big Green Lake — 236 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
12. Lac Vieux Desert Lake — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Lake Poygan — 11 ft max · Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 14 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
14. Trout Lake — 110 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
15. Willow Flowage — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
16. Namekagon River — 7 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 11 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
17. Lac Courte Oreilles — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
18. Geneva Lake — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
19. Holcombe Flowage — 62 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. St. Croix River — 15 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, MuskellungeWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 8 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
21. Shawano Lake — 39.5 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 12 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. Delavan Lake — 52 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
23. Tainter Lake — 37 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
24. Tomahawk Lake — 84 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
25. Dairyland Reservoir (Flambeau) — 70 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites

…plus 692 more Wisconsin waters holding muskellunge.

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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.

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