Best Places to Fish in Wisconsin: Fox Lake

By Jon Giacalone
Fishidy

Fox Lake, a 2,713-acre lake north of Madison with a maximum depth of 19 feet, is known as one of Wisconsin's top ten fishing lakes and one of the best walleye fisheries in the state.

This natural glacial lake was enlarged in 1845 by the construction of a dam and sawmill on an outlet of the lake called Mill Creek. The dam raised lake levels about eleven feet and added significantly to the surface area of the lake. There are six islands totaling about 30 acres and almost 18 miles of shoreline.

Fishing is a year-round activity on Fox Lake. Anglers pull more than 700,000 fish out of the water every year, and there are abundant populations of walleye, northern pike and crappie, along with muskie, bluegill, and large and smallmouth bass.

For more than 30 years, the Fox Lake Property Owners have stocked the lake. In 1970 an aeration system was added to add oxygen to the water and prevent the lake from freezing completely to protect the fish populations from winterkill. Since then, ice fishing has increased in popularity, and dedicated anglers can catch fish in every season.

Interactive Lake Map

For a more detailed lake map and up-to-the-minute fishing reports, follow the Fox Lake waterway page on Fishidy.

Here are some tips for locating and catching fish on Fox Lake:

• In early spring, cast jig/minnow combos along the gravel shorelines of Dead and Elmwood islands for walleye. Shallow weeds will hold fish year-round. Work slip bobber rigs and live bait in the weed openings and along the deep weedline.
• Shallow weed growth, docks, and brush shelters hold largemouth bass all year. Work the “slop” with surface baits and unweighted plastic worms. Skip jig n’pig combos and Texas-rigged plastic worms under docks for above-average fish.
• In early spring, boating channels and northern bays provide outstanding action for bass and panfish. Casting small spinnerbaits or “twitching” a Rapala often yields bass. Bluegill and crappie respond best to small bobbers and live bait.
• Weed edges and pockets alongside Devils Island hold walleye, northern pike and bluegill. This area is productive from early spring through fall.
• In the gravel areas surrounding Maple Point, walleye can be found year-round. Backtroll the break with live bait rigs tipped with leeches or nightcrawlers.

Fishidy.com is the premier map-based, social network for anglers. The online community gives anglers the ability to record and track their on-the-water experiences and view detailed fishing maps on over 8,000 bodies of water.