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6,063-acre flowage near Shawano. The lake tops out around 40 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Shawano Lake maps at 6,231 acres behind 17.8 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 63% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 5.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 3 mi at the beam. It sits in Shawano County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Washington Lake, is 2 mi to the northeast.
Early season muskellunge use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 18 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 12 to 39.5 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shawano Lake Outlet inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Shawano Lake Outlet inflow (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 39.5 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 12 to 39.5 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring largemouth bass on Shawano 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. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 (18 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 (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 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 (18 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Old creek channel — creek channel, 20 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| 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 (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| 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 (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The chart marks 12 structure features on Shawano Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 34 ft.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Walleye (large fingerling) | 31,137 | ~7.4" |
| 2025* | Walleye (fry) | 7,819,000 | ~0.5" |
| 2025* | Muskellunge (large fingerling) | 2,516 | ~10.6" |
| 2024* | Muskellunge (large fingerling) | 4,143 | ~10" |
| 2024* | Walleye (small fingerling) | 14,163 | ~2" |
| 2024* | Walleye (fry) | 5,100,000 | ~0.3" |
* 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 Shawano Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Shawano Lake is about 39.5 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 muskellunge, walleye, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch on Shawano Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For muskellunge, 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.
Yes — per Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary records, Shawano Lake was most recently stocked 2025 with 31,137 walleye (large fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Shawano Lake 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.
Washington Lake 2 mi · Loon Lake 2 mi · Lulu Lake 2 mi · Lily Lake 3 mi · Bahr Lake 4 mi · Korth Lake 4 mi · Rice Lake 4 mi · Bass Lake 5 mi · Pine Lake 5 mi · White Clay Lake 5 mi · Wolf River Pond 6 mi · Sand Lake 6 mi
See how Shawano Lake 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: Shawano County fishing maps (38 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.