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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
57-acre lake in Dunn County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 17 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The outline encloses 57 acres, worked by 3.8 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. An index of 3.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. About 96% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 1 mi with a 0.6-mi widest point. It sits in Dunn County. Cooley Lake sits 6 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 4 to 17 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 17 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 17 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 17 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 17 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 17 ft game here, winter a 5 to 17 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Elk Creek Lake* hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 14 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Elk Creek 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 5 to 17 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 2 to 17 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 17 ft covers summer, 2 to 17 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 8 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 3 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 17 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 14 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR - Public Access Lands Shoreline Geometry. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Brown Trout (yearling) | 970 | ~5" |
| 2025* | Rainbow Trout (yearling) | 2,958 | ~8.6" |
| 2024* | Brown Trout (yearling) | 2,632 | ~9.5" |
| 2024* | Rainbow Trout (yearling) | 2,689 | ~8.8" |
| 2024* | Brown Trout (adult (broodstock)) | 100 | ~17.1" |
| 2024* | Brown Trout (yearling) | 854 | ~5.3" |
| 2024* | Brown Trout (yearling) | 600 | ~8.9" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Elk Creek Lake* specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Elk Creek Lake* is about 17 ft (5 m) deep 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.
Anglers target rainbow trout, yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, brown trout on Elk Creek 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary records, Elk Creek Lake* was most recently stocked 2025 with 970 brown trout (yearling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Elk Creek Lake* is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Cooley Lake 6 mi · Halfmoon Lake 6 mi · Rock Falls Millpond 7 mi · Dells Pond 8 mi · Chippewa River 8 mi · Lake Hallie, Lake Hallie 2 11 mi · Altoona Lake 11 mi · Lake Menomin 14 mi · Tainter Lake 14 mi · Glen Loch Flowage 16 mi · Tilden Mill Pond 16 mi · Mirror Lake 17 mi
See how Elk Creek Lake* stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best rainbow trout lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Dunn County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Shoreline: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). This is a shoreline guide. Modeled depth contours have been retired. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.