Walworth County Fishing Hot Spots Thread

[keith]

For the big fishing stories, see our Fishing! FishOn! Wisconsin Fishing Forums.

This thread is the place to click "Post Reply" and tell us where the fish are biting in Walworth County!

You can also announce tournaments and such in this county here in this thread. (The main fishing forums recommended for that as well).

Please post this kind of information:

Subject Line: Lake or river name and what kind of fish are hitting

In the text: Please tell us whatever you can, including:

- where on the Lake / River
- what depth
- time of day
- bait / lure / presentation / colors
- boat access (and cost)

and anything else about the area like local bait shops, water hazards, alternative species and tackle in case the main stuff isn't happening, local places to stay, guide services, etc.

If it is an advertisement, put it in the classifieds; otherwise, hope you'll share some info for all. Just click "Post Reply".

Regards,
Keith

p.s.: If you're local and want to know when they're biting, click "Watch this topic for replies" below and an email will be sent to you whenever someone posts here. (You must be a registered Member of theBubbler.com - free.)

Please consider subscribing to topics in Fishing! FishOn! Wisconsin Fishing Forums as well.

[AlumniClub]

Looking at big Delavan today, you’d never realize that it’s a ghost. But it is. In the late 1980s, it was certifiably dead: turbid, brown, loaded with Carp...dead. Then people went to work. The lake was drained, chemically treated and refilled, then restocked with fish. And what you see today is a fine recreational lake with an excellent fishery – a fishery nearly as good as it was in the good, old days before its “fatal illness.” Pete Brahm of Brahm’s Service, 725 East Geneva St., Delavan (414) 728-3660, says you’ll find great Walleye here, including some topping out around 28 inches. Too, there are what Brahm calls “unbelievable” Northern Pike, some of which are reaching 40 inches or larger. In addition, says Brahm, there’s a great population of Largemouth Bass and even some legal-size Muskies up to 40 inches. And that’s not to mention a fine Bluegill fishery, with large numbers of fish topping 8 inches in length and a pound in weight. All in all, the fishery is superb, Brahm says. Delavan is a fertile lake, so there’s good weed growth. In fact, during the summer, there’s a weed harvester going most times. And this leaves a nice, sharp, well-defined edge to hold fish. These can be productive for Northerns, Largemouth, ‘gills, Crappies, and the occasional Muskie. The best weed flats are to either side of the bollard-shaped point called “The Island” on the southwest. The depth doesn’t reach much more than eight feet here, and weed growth can be extensive. But these areas offer great fishing, says Brahm, especially early in the season before weeds become too heavy. You’ll find a similar area, meanwhile, on the northwest, around the Turtle Creek inlet. There’s a shore-fishing area here, and Walleyes can be taken from the dredged channel. And speaking of Walleyes, there are several good places to take them. Among them is a bar on the east shore, just south of the turn on South Shore Drive. Fish the edges with minnows or leeches in early summer. Much of the lake’s east shoreline, meanwhile, drops away steeply and holds fish. That’s especially true of the small “bump” on the shore about mid-way up the lake. This can be productive for Walleye and also for Smallmouth Bass, when fished around the 10-foot level during the summer. And a similar spot can be found about midway between the “bump” and the bar. This, too, holds good numbers of goggle eyes and Smallies during summer months. Troll live bait rigs here during the day or crankbaits at night. Right across the lake from this spot, meanwhile, is a “breast with a nipple” which juts out into the lake from the west shore. You’ll find rock and gravel humps here which hold Walleyes and Smallies, as well. Live bait is the ticket for the Walleyes, and small crankbaits will do nicely for the Smallies. Probably the best panfish action on the entire lake can be found along the northeast shore. Brahm says the area behind the dike is made for drift-fishing with a bobber from ice-out through early summer. And just outside the dike, too, is an area of scattered weed growth, which is a good producer of ‘gills and Crappies. The occasional Walleye swims by here too.

GB2

[AlumniClub]

For anyone looking for advice on whether to fish Lake Geneva, the best available is: “Don’t miss it.” Simply stated, Geneva is one of the premier waters in Wisconsin. It’s deep, clear, well-endowed with amenities and home to a remarkable, diverse fishery. The fishery is made even more desirable by the presence of Ciscoes. These fish are well worth trying for in their own right; anyone who’s had smoked Ciscoes knows they can be truly good eating. But perhaps the greatest benefit of a good Cisco population is not the gourmet possibilities they offer, but rather their ability to nourish a superb population of gamefish. If you’re looking for Ciscoes for the pot, Brian Gates, of Geneva Lake Sports, Lake Geneva, (414) 473-5029, says you’ll find them at The Narrows during the summer, when they can be taken on a spoon with downrigger, or jig them violently with a Hopkins Spoon. In winter, take them off Cedar Point or in Williams Bay on a Rat Finkie and shiner in 40 to 80 feet of water. The Ciscoes you don’t catch, meanwhile, will help to support a fine population of Lake Trout, Northern Pike, and Walleyes. In May, says Gates, lakers can best be taken on Bangtails with a silver blade and pearl body fishing right off the pier at the Fontana access site on the lake’s west end. In June, you’ll get the “greaseballs” by accident in 20 to 30 feet of water on fatheads when you’re fishing for Bass around Rainbow Point in the southeast. In July and August, though, you have to be a bit more deliberate about catching them, says Gates. He suggests trolling silver spoons or Fin Doctor spoons – large ones in order to avoid taking Ciscoes – under downriggers in deep water, off Conference, Block Point, and in The Narrows. There’s also a 95-foot hole on the northwest, off the park, where Lakers suspend. In September, troll the same areas more slowly with downriggers, and in winter, fish the Lakers in the same areas and also around Cedar Point. Northern Pike fishing also can be a real kick here. Gates says you’ll find good-size alligators here, which is just fine, because there’s a 32-inch size limit. But there also are many sublegal fish, as well. In fact, there are so many, Gates says, that you can go out and catch/release 25 22- to 25-inch Northerns in four hours...easily. They’re that easy to catch. In fact, locals have nicknamed the whole east shore of Williams Bay “Northern Alley” for good reason. Gates says you can do really well here by slowly back trolling Lindy rigs in 30 to 60 feet of water. And, in the fall, when the water temperature hits 63 degrees for two or three days, the Northerns congregate like mad off Fontana Beach, Gates says. Use live bait and fish them in about 16 feet of water.

The historically excellent Walleye population hit the skids for a number of years and is just starting to come back after several years when they weren’t stocked. Two humps and a deep breakline just west of The Narrows off the north shore are good places to take them in the spring and fall, and don’t neglect the steep sides of Conference Point, where the Walleyes gather in the fall to intercept spawning Ciscoes. You’ll take the goggle eyes then in 5 to 15 feet of water on large minnows or Rapalas. When you’re fishing for Walleyes, though, don’t neglect the steep rocky shoreline of Cedar Point. This spot will hold Walleyes from barely post-spawn into early summer and they can be taken on spinners and jigs.

In June, the rocks off Cedar Point become a hotspot for Smallmouth Bass. Fish the warming water with Golden Roaches or Fatheads early, says Gates, or “rip” Perch-pattern jigs until the water temperature hits 62 degrees. Of course, the majority of Geneva’s shoreline is good Smallie habitat; find gravel, says Gates, and you’ll find Bass with crayfish-pattern lures.

Largemouth Bass too inhabit this fine water, and Gates says you’ll find “a substantial number of fish 14 inches and better.” The flats on the northeast, off Lake Geneva and on the southeast, east of Lake Geneva Country Club, are good Bass producers, as is Abbey Lagoon on the lake’s western end. Fish the bigmouths at night on “noisy stuff,” Gates advises, or with rubber worms. Hula Poppers are a perennial favorite.

Panfish species here include White Bass, Rock Bass, Black Crappies, Bluegills and Pumpkinseeds. Yellow Perch also inhabit the lake, and you can catch them up to 13 inches, though most of them are much smaller – in the 4- to 6-inch range. Gates says Crappies enjoyed an “excellent year” in 1998, and good numbers are expected for some years to come. Lots of them are in the 10-inch range and can be taken on the breaks and drops on small minnows. The ‘gills aren’t large, but they’re numerous, and they can be caught by drifting The Narrows with crawlers. Pumpkinseeds up to 9+ inches, too, can be taken on crawlers in Geneva Bay.

Rainbow, Brown and Brook Trout, meanwhile, compose a “bonus” fishery on Geneva. And it’s quite a plus. In fact, a state record 18-pound, 5 3/4-ounce Brownie was caught “by accident” on a jig by someone fishing for Bass. Fish the Trout off Black Point in, say, 40 feet of water in July. And enjoy some good action.

Public access to Lake Geneva is fairly good, with launch sites on the west, north, northeast and southeast. In addition, there are several private sites able to accommodate virtually any size boat. A bit of a “heads-up” is in order, though.

Lake Geneva is prime water located only a tankful of gas away from three major cities: Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. As you might expect, therefore, recreational use of the lake is pretty heavy. In fact, if you decide to fish here, you need to be aware that you’ll be competing for access to virtually everything. Want accommodations? Make reservations. Want to launch your boat? Arrive at the launch sites early – repeat, early, as in 4:30 a.m. – in order to be sure of getting a parking spot. Otherwise, you may find yourself watching others have fun, while you drive around endlessly in your car, waiting for a parking spot to clear. In addition, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of cash to finance your fishing trip -- or make certain you haven’t left home without plenty of elastic plastic. Why? Well, hotels around here charge around $175 a night. Of course, you can really luck out and find a cabin for only $500 a week or so. But those are rare and only available by reservation. Meals and services aren’t cheap, either.

If this sounds as though you can’t just throw a tackle box and a case of beer in the boat and expect to have a great week at Lake Geneva, you’ve formed the correct impression. It’s better to plan an outing here than to trust your luck. This, however, doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time. Far from it. True, there’s heavy fishing and recreational pressure, but, as Gates notes, because of stocking and catch and release, the fishery “ is as good now as it ever has been in most cases.” True, the Walleye population is down from its high point in the 70s and 80s, but it’s on the way back because of stocking. And there’s a bonus Trout fishery now that wasn’t here in years past.

All of this, says Gates, means a good opportunity for the angler. Simply stated, he says, “These ARE the good, old days for the Lake Geneva fishery.”

GB2

[AlumniClub]

Special thanks to Pete Brahm of Brahm’s Service, 725 East Geneva St., Delavan (414) 728-3660, Brian Gates, of Geneva Lake Sports, Lake Geneva, (414) 473-5029 for the info provided. Information was provided from Sportsman Connection Map Guide Book


GB2