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2,080-acre lake near McFarland. The lake tops out around 38 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 2,076 acres of water rimmed by 11.1 miles of bank — 2 islands included. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.7) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 64% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.3 mi with a 1.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Dane County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Upper Mud Lake, 2 mi north of here.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 38 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Swan Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Swan Creek inflow (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 38 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run 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 | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 38 ft. Top water on the chart: Swan Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Swan Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) |
Lake Waubesa also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
17 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 32 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Muskellunge (large fingerling) | 1,037 | ~12" |
| 2024* | Walleye (small fingerling) | 73,714 | ~1.5" |
| 2024* | Muskellunge (large fingerling) | 1,037 | ~11.7" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary, retrieved 2026-08-18.
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 Waubesa specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Lake Waubesa is about 38 ft (12 m) deep 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish, common carp on Lake Waubesa.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary records, Lake Waubesa was most recently stocked 2025 with 1,037 muskellunge (large fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Waubesa 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.
Upper Mud Lake 2 mi · Mud Lake 2 mi · Lake Monona 4 mi · Lake Kegonsa 5 mi · Lake Wingra 6 mi · Goose Lake 8 mi · Stoughton Millpond 429 9 mi · Lake Mendota 9 mi · Verona Gravel Pit 11 mi · Windsor Lake 13 mi · Lake Belle View 15 mi · Leota Lake 15 mi
See how Lake Waubesa stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Dane County fishing maps (20 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.