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Best rainbow trout lakes in Wisconsin

216 Wisconsin waters hold rainbow trout, 7 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 classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.

1. Big Green Lake — 236 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 7 public access sites
2. Trout Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Namekagon River — 7 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, MuskellungeWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites, 3 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Geneva Lake — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 6 public access sites
5. Smoky Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
6. Lake Noquebay — 51 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
7. Rose Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
8. Julia Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
9. Johns Lake — 41 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
10. Wood Lake — 53 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Yellowstone Lake — 14 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
12. Clark Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
13. Neshkoro Millpond — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. Rolling Stone Lake — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
15. McGee Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow TroutWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Big Crooked Lake — 34 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
17. Hayward Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
18. Pickerel Lake — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Twin Valley Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
20. Tichigan Lake — 63 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
21. Murphy Flowage — 14 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Neopit Mill Pond — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow TroutWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
23. Upper Red Lake — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
24. Phipps Flowage — 13 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
25. Devils Lake — 47 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites

…plus 191 more Wisconsin waters holding rainbow trout.

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When to fish rainbow trout in Wisconsin

• Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
• Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.

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 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 · best lake sturgeon lakes

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