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Fishing Chain Lake: what the data says
200-acre lake near Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 19 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at Chain Lake
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Chain Lake
Spring yellow perch on Chain Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Chain Lake
Spring northern pike on Chain Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Muskellunge fishing at Chain Lake
Spring muskellunge on Chain Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 19 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Chain Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Chain Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 16 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 19 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 19 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 19 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Chain Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 16 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Chain Lake?
Chain Lake is about 19 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 Chain Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, muskellunge, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Chain 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 Chain Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Chain Lake?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Echo Lake · Sand Lake · Baggs Lake · Dam Lake · Arbutus Lake · Stone Lake
See how Chain Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.