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Fishing Gates Lake: what the data says
17-acre lake near Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 17 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Muskellunge fishing at Gates Lake
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shoreline break: a drop-off around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Gates Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Shoreline break: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Gates Lake?
Gates Lake is about 17 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 Gates Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, muskellunge on Gates 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 Gates Lake?
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Gates Lake?
For muskellunge, 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
Muskellunge Lake · Pelican Lake · Seagels Lake · Torrey Lake · Camp Four Lake · Gordon Lake
See how Gates Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.