Walleye fishing at Old Abe Lake

Spring walleye on Old Abe Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 36 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 16 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.

Yellow Perch fishing at Old Abe Lake

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime 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.

Northern Pike fishing at Old Abe Lake

In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.

Muskellunge fishing at Old Abe Lake

Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 16 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Old Abe Lake

Spring smallmouth bass on Old Abe Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 36 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Old Abe Lake

Spring largemouth bass on Old Abe Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

How deep is Old Abe Lake?

Old Abe Lake is about 36 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 Old Abe Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, muskellunge, yellow perch, lake sturgeon on Old Abe 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 Old Abe Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 16 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 Old Abe 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.