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CASTLE ROCK LAKE INFO
Though not as large as Petenwell, its neighbor to the north, Castle Rock Flowage still qualifies as big water with 13,387 surface acres to its credit. Its slightly brown-stained water offers fair visibility and good fertility. All the better to grow fish, which is fortunate, for the season here never closes. Walleye is what draws most anglers to Castle Rock. There have been complaints in the past about a strange taste to the flowage’s goggle eyes, but after some 20 years of pollution abatement and cleanup activities, much of that problem has disappeared. Try tossing jig/minnow combinations at them then, working the shallower water. As the water warms, the Walleyes will head south. And, from June on, fish them in the old river channels, beating up the water with Shad Raps or Wally Divers at 15- to 20-foot depths. The deep cuts just below the railroad bridge along the east shore are especially good, as are similar areas off the mouth of Little Roche a Cri Creek. And the deeper holes above the dam also deserve a good, hard look. For Smallies, concentrate your efforts on the lake’s western arm. Toss small spinners or Power Grubs to the shorelines, especially around the Buckhorn Bridge which carries County Road G over the channel. And for the decent Largemouth population, Camp suggests working the back bays and stump fields north of the railroad bridge. Spinnerbaits are good choices, as are plastic worms and topwater in summer. Meanwhile, White Bass tend to run large here, and some specimens up to 18 inches have been caught. In the spring, you’ll find them in the river, below the Petenwell Dam, and in the summer, they’ll be scattered around the lake, where they can be spotted on the surface feeding. Throw small jig/Twister Tail or jig/minnow combinations early and small spinners as the season progresses. Castle Rock does have a minor Muskie fishery, one which produces small numbers of legal-size (34-inch) fish currently, but which may offer better angling in the future. Current DNR regulations prohibit stocking more than 2,500 Muskies in any water in a single year, a number which is a “drop in the bucket” when dealing with a lake the size of Castle Rock. During the winter, Castle Rock offers good fishing for Northerns, Walleyes and panfish. The ice, however, can be treacherous, especially during low-water periods. Campgrounds, showers, toilets, bait & tackle, food and laundry facilities are within easy reach.
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