Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for walleye.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
8,416-acre lake in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 40 ft. The depth chart comes from U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center / Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 8,475 acres of water rimmed by 85.8 miles of bank, with 51 islands in the mix. An index of 6.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Tip to tip the water measures near 7.4 mi with a 4-mi widest point. The water lies in La Crosse County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: La Crosse River, 6 mi southeast of here.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | open water | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | open water | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | open water | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 12 to 40 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
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 | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | open water | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Lake Onalaska also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 10 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 29 ft.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR - Boat Access Sites, Shore Fishing Sites, and DNR Parking Lots; Wisconsin DNR - Public Access Lands Shoreline Geometry; Wisconsin DNR - Public Access Lands Shoreline Geometry; Wisconsin DNR - Public Access Lands Shoreline Geometry; Wisconsin DNR - Public Access Lands Shoreline Geometry. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Onalaska specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Lake Onalaska is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center / Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Lake Onalaska. 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.
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.
Fishing on Lake Onalaska 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.
La Crosse River 6 mi, WI/MN · Round Lake 8 mi · Third Lake 8 mi · Second Lake 9 mi · Neshonoc Lake 12 mi · Marinuka Lake 13 mi · Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) 13 mi, WI/MN · Golf Course Pond 14 mi · Horseshoe Lake 14 mi · Winona (South Bay) 19 mi, MN · Shamrock Impoundment 20 mi, MN · Winona (North Bay) 20 mi, MN
See how Lake Onalaska stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center / Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program Pool 7 1998 flat-pool bathymetry grid. 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.