Best sauger lakes in Wisconsin
10 Wisconsin waters list sauger (official records or labelled estimates), 5 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 river-running cousin of the walleye. Built for current and muddy water — channel edges, wing dams and the deep holes below every dam.
- Lake Pepin — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Lake Wisconsin — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 25 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Chippewa River — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
- Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) — 37 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Lower Wisconsin River — 12 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Channel CatfishWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 11 public access sites, 4 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Mississippi River Pool 3 (Hastings to Red Wing) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Wisconsin River (Dells) — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
- La Crosse River — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugerWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 1 more Wisconsin waters holding sauger.
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Wisconsin waters with public access data
When to fish sauger in Wisconsin
- Spring 4–18 ft — The famous tailwater run — fish stack below dams and on gravel bars in current seams.
- Summer 10–30 ft — Main-channel ledges and deep sand/gravel flats with current.
- Fall 12–35 ft — Fish pod up tight on channel structure — find one and you've found fifty.
- Winter 15–45 ft — The deepest holes below dams hold winter sauger by the hundreds.
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