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BUFFALO LAKE INFO
There are more attractive lakes than serpentine old Buffalo, but probably few more fertile. This tea-colored water gets murky, and the lake weeds up in the summertime, to the point where the growth hinders traffic and fishing; indeed, there’s a harvester running a good share of the time – from mid-June on up through Labor Day. Don’t let that stop you from wetting a line here, however, for the fishery is worth any minor inconvenience you have to put up with. Jerry Ross, sporting goods manager of The Holiday Shopping Center, Highway 22 South, Montello (608) 297-7170, says you’ll find fair numbers of Muskies here, some of them running to 40 inches or larger. In addition, there are good-size Northern Pike, a few Walleyes, nice Largemouth Bass, and a good crop of panfish, including 10-inch Perch. For Muskies, toss bucktails or fair-size sucker minnows to the weed edges along the lake’s south shore, or try working the outside edges of the weedbed off the Page Creek inlet. In addition, you’ll want to try the old pilings around the County Road D bridge at the Village of Packwaukee. For Northerns, Ross advises throwing spinnerbaits, suckers, or bright spoons. The downed timber just above the 10th Drive boat landing is a productive spot for them, as are the pilings around Packwaukee. And don’t neglect the weedy mud flats on the south shore, just above the big bend in the channel. You’ll catch Pike here all season, and Perch in the fall. Ross says Largemouth have been hitting on dark-color plastics and spinnerbaits. He advises throwing next to the riprap near the Montello launch site and around the railroad trestle south of the big bend. This same site is also a prolific panfish producer. Ross advises tossing small minnows for the Crappies, waxies for the ‘gills and hellgrammites or waxies for the Perch. There is a fair winter fishery, meanwhile, for Perch, Northerns, ‘gills and Crappies. The area around the springs on the north shore above the boat landing is a popular spot, as are the culverts near the boat landing below Packwaukee. Buffalo Lake access is fairly good. Numerous public and private launch sites are scattered along its shores, and you’ll find plenty of amenities in Montello.
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