Lake Trout fishing at Elkhart Lake

Spring lake trout on Elkhart Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 36 to 119 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 101 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.

Walleye fishing at Elkhart Lake

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Yellow Perch fishing at Elkhart Lake

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.

Northern Pike fishing at Elkhart Lake

Spring northern pike on Elkhart Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 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 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Muskellunge fishing at Elkhart Lake

Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Elkhart Lake

In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 30 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.

How deep is Elkhart Lake?

Elkhart Lake is about 119 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 Elkhart Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, muskellunge, yellow perch, lake trout on Elkhart 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 Elkhart Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 101 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Elkhart Lake?

For lake trout, 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.