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Fishing Kelly Lake: what the data says
55-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.
Walleye fishing at Kelly Lake
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 to 17 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 17 ft. Shoreline break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Kelly Lake
Spring yellow perch on Kelly Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Kelly Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Kelly Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 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 | 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 |
Crappie fishing at Kelly Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Kelly Lake
Spring bluegill on Kelly 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. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Kelly Lake
Spring pumpkinseed on Kelly Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 17 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny 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 Kelly Lake?
Kelly 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 Kelly Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Kelly 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 Kelly Lake?
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 8 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 Kelly 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
Twin Lake · Sweet Lake · Shunenberg Lake · Smith Lake · Henderson Lake · Robinson Lake
See how Kelly Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin
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