Yellow Perch fishing at Bailey Lake

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.

Northern Pike fishing at Bailey Lake

In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Bailey Lake

Spring largemouth bass on Bailey Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Crappie fishing at Bailey Lake

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 26 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Bluegill fishing at Bailey Lake

Spring bluegill on Bailey Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

How deep is Bailey Lake?

Bailey Lake is about 30 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Bailey Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch on Bailey Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.

Where is the best fishing spot on Bailey Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Bailey Lake?

For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.