Rainbow Trout fishing at Little John Lake

In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 19 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 19 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 19 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.

Walleye fishing at Little John Lake

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Northern Pike fishing at Little John Lake

Spring northern pike on Little John Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Muskellunge fishing at Little John Lake

In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Little John Lake

In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Little John Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

How deep is Little John Lake?

Little John Lake is about 19 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 Little John Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, rainbow trout, muskellunge on Little John 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 Little John Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 9 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 Little John Lake?

For rainbow trout, 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.