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Fishing Lake Elaine: what the data says
14-acre lake near Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 26 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.
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Elaine
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 26 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 26 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. 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 | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Elaine
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Elaine hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 26 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lake Elaine
Spring crappie on Lake Elaine hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 26 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Elaine
Spring bluegill on Lake Elaine hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 22 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Lake Elaine
Spring pumpkinseed on Lake Elaine hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 18 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 12 ft, rated good for fall pumpkinseed. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| 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 | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 22 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Elaine?
Lake Elaine is about 26 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 Lake Elaine?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Lake Elaine. 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 Lake Elaine?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Elaine?
For yellow perch, 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.
Nearby waters
Little Donahue Lake · Little Bateau Lake · Big Donahue Lake · George Lake · Black Oak Lake · Ethel Lake
See how Lake Elaine stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
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