Walleye fishing at Tenderfoot Lake

Spring walleye on Tenderfoot Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 33 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 33 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 15 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.

Yellow Perch fishing at Tenderfoot 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 10 to 33 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 Tenderfoot Lake

Spring northern pike on Tenderfoot Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 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 and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Muskellunge fishing at Tenderfoot Lake

Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 33 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 15 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Tenderfoot Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass 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 10 to 33 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime 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 Tenderfoot Lake

Spring largemouth bass on Tenderfoot Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 33 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. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

How deep is Tenderfoot Lake?

Tenderfoot Lake is about 33 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 Tenderfoot Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, muskellunge, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Tenderfoot 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 Tenderfoot Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 15 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 Tenderfoot 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.