Devils Lake Fishing Guides
A spring-fed lake walled in by quartzite bluffs in Wisconsin's most visited state park, clear and deep enough to hold trout alongside a conventional warmwater fishery.
Guides on the Devils Lake
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About the Devils Lake
Devils Lake is a geological accident and a good fishery because of it. A glacier blocked both ends of a gorge through the Baraboo Range and left a lake with no meaningful inlet or outlet, sitting in a bowl five hundred feet below quartzite bluffs. Because it is fed by groundwater rather than by a river it runs unusually clear for southern Wisconsin, and because it is deep for its size it stratifies and holds cold water through the summer. Those two facts give it a fishery that does not look like its neighbours.
The conventional part is warmwater and familiar. Largemouth and smallmouth bass hold along the rock and the weed edges, northern pike work the shallower ends, and bluegill, perch and crappie are abundant enough to keep families busy off the piers. Walleye are present in smaller numbers. The unusual part is the trout, stocked and holding over in the cold deep water, which makes this one of the few lakes in the region where a brown trout and a largemouth can come from the same afternoon.
The gauge reads lake stage, and on a closed-basin lake that number moves with rainfall and groundwater rather than with any dam, drifting up in a wet year and down in a dry one. It is worth checking mainly for shoreline access and launching. What genuinely governs a trip here is people. This is the most visited state park in Wisconsin and summer weekends bring enormous crowds to the beaches and bluff trails. Motors are restricted to electric, which keeps the water quiet, and early mornings and shoulder seasons are when the lake belongs to anglers. Parking fills early on summer weekends and a state park sticker is required, so anglers planning a warm-weather trip should arrive at first light or come midweek when the bluff trails are quiet and the shoreline is open.
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Access
Devil's Lake State Park - the park surrounding the entire lake, with north and south shore day-use areas, camping and boat launches. / Baraboo - the city three miles north, with lodging, tackle, food and the nearest services. / North Shore - the main launch and pier area, closest to the deeper water. / South Shore - the second developed access, beach and launch at the southern end. / Wisconsin Dells - the tourist centre fifteen minutes north, the usual lodging base in summer. / Wisconsin River - the large river nearby, the obvious alternative when the park is crowded. / Electric-motor-only rule - gas motors are prohibited, so plan on paddle, electric or shore fishing.
Seasons
Spring: the best fishing of the year, with bass and pike shallow, trout still accessible near the surface and the park crowds not yet arrived. / Summer: the lake stratifies, trout go deep, bass and panfish stay catchable early and late, and the park is extremely busy through the middle of the day. / Fall: crowds vanish, water cools and bass feed hard along the rock, making October one of the best months here. / Winter: reliable ice supports a strong local panfish and pike fishery, with the bluffs sheltering much of the lake from wind.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Devils Lake?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Brown Trout, Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch on the Devils Lake in Wisconsin.
Where can you access the Devils Lake?
Devil's Lake State Park - the park surrounding the entire lake, with north and south shore day-use areas, camping and boat launches. / Baraboo - the city three miles north, with lodging, tackle, food and the nearest services. / North Shore - the main launch and pier area, closest to the deeper water. / South Shore - the second developed access, beach and launch at the southern end. / Wisconsin Dells - the tourist centre fifteen minutes north, the usual lodging base in summer. / Wisconsin River - the large river nearby, the obvious alternative when the park is crowded. / Electric-motor-only rul...
When is the best time to fish the Devils Lake?
Spring: the best fishing of the year, with bass and pike shallow, trout still accessible near the surface and the park crowds not yet arrived. / Summer: the lake stratifies, trout go deep, bass and panfish stay catchable early and late, and the park is extremely busy through the middle of the day. / Fall: crowds vanish, water cools and bass feed hard along the rock, making October one of the best months here. / Winter: reliable ice supports a strong local panfish and pike fishery, with the bluffs sheltering much of the lake from wind.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Devils Lake?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Wisconsin agency site: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/fishing/regulations