Best Lake Geneva Friday Fish Fry
Quick answer: For a fish fry with a lake view, go to Oak & Oar at The Geneva Inn ($24 beer-battered cod) or Mars Resort on Lake Como (haddock, no reservations). On a budget, Champs on Main Street does walleye and fantail shrimp for $14.95. Want lake perch? Lake City Social serves it for $21.
Go before 5:30 or after 8, and call ahead anywhere that takes reservations.
Friday night around Geneva Lake runs on fish fry. Taverns, supper clubs, golf clubhouses and lakefront patios all fry, most of them year-round, and the 5 to 7 window fills at every popular spot.
This guide starts with the best fish fries close to downtown, then lists the rest by town. Hours and prices move around in winter and on holiday weekends, so check before you drive. For full dinners, see the supper club guide or the Lake Geneva restaurants guide.
Which fish fry should you pick?
Lake Geneva fish fries at a glance
| Spot | Town | Fish | Price | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak & Oar | Lake Geneva (south shore) | Beer-battered cod | $24 | Yes |
| Mars Resort | Lake Como | Haddock | Check menu | Not taken |
| Champs | Lake Geneva | Walleye, fantail shrimp | $14.95 | No |
| Lake City Social | Lake Geneva | Cod (fried or baked), lake perch | $15 to $21 | Recommended |
| Nick’s on the Lake | Lake Geneva | All you can eat | Check menu | Recommended |
| Tail Feathers at Hawk’s View | Lake Geneva | Year-round Friday fry | Check menu | Strongly recommended |
| PIER 290 | Williams Bay | All-day Friday fry | Check menu | Summer, yes |
What comes with a Wisconsin fish fry?
Fried or baked fish, usually cod, haddock, perch, walleye or bluegill. Then coleslaw, rye bread, tartar sauce, lemon and a choice of fries or a potato pancake with applesauce.
Perch and walleye cost more than cod. All-you-can-eat usually means cod. Many spots let you swap fried for baked.
Tip: Order the potato pancake. It’s the side that separates a Wisconsin fry from fish and chips.
The best fish fries near downtown Lake Geneva
1. Oak & Oar at The Geneva Inn
Lake viewSunsetReservationsThe best fish fry setting on Geneva Lake. Beer-battered cod, coleslaw, a potato pancake and house-made tartar, served on the Shore Path with the sun going down across the lake.
Tip: Book online for about 1 hour before sunset.
2. Mars Resort
Supper clubHaddockOn the waterFriday haddock at the classic Lake Como supper club, with an old fashioned from the bar and live music most weekends. Start with the duck strips. More drink stops are in the bars guide.
Tip: Mars doesn’t take reservations. Put your name in by 5 and wait by the lake.
3. Champs Sports Bar & Grill
Best valueWalleyeThe best deal downtown. Lightly breaded walleye, fantail shrimp and fish tacos on one plate, inside the old First National Bank building with a beer garden out back.
4. Lake City Social
Lake perchBaked optionBeer-battered fish ($16), baked fish ($15) or lake perch ($21), at The Cove with a patio and parking. The perch is the order.
5. Nick’s on the Lake
All you can eatAcross from the beachThe all-you-can-eat fry downtown, at the spot that opened as Popeye’s in 1972. Come hungry and sit near the front windows.
6. Tail Feathers Bar & Grill at Hawk’s View
Golf clubhouseBook aheadA local favorite at the Hawk’s View golf club, a few minutes north of town. The fry runs every Friday of the year, and the club strongly recommends reservations.
7. PIER 290
On the waterYear-roundA fish fry on the piers in Williams Bay, about 15 minutes from downtown. It runs all day Friday, so a 3 p.m. plate by the beach is an option.
8. Holly’s Como Inn
Neighborhood tavernA Lake Como tavern whose kitchen stays open as long as the bar does. Friday fish fry is the night regulars come in.
Friday fish fry by town
Tap a town to open it. Call first: hours and fish change by season.
Lake Geneva, Lake Como and Geneva National
Next Door Pub and Next Door Pub Lakeside
Fish fry plus pizza for anyone at the table who doesn’t want fish.
The Getaway on Lake Como
Friday dinner with a Lake Como view and live music on the calendar.
DJ’s In The Drink
A neighborhood bar and grill on Lake Como.
The Owl Tavern
A 1908 north woods tavern known for its walleye.
turf. kitchen + tap
Friday fish at the Geneva National clubhouse, open to the public.
Grand Café and Foley’s Irish Woods
Both listed Friday fry on the live page. Call to confirm.
Fontana
Waterfront at The Abbey
Classic Wisconsin fish fry on the menu, near the harbor.
Gordy’s Boat House
Harbor-view restaurant. Call for fish fry dates in season.
Chuck’s Lakeshore Inn
The old-school Fontana tavern. Call first.
Williams Bay
Harpoon Willie’s
The village tavern across from the water. Call to confirm Friday fish.
Delavan and Delavan Lake
The Village Supper Club
Friday fish fry and nightly prime rib on Delavan Lake.
The Duck Inn Supper Club
A former speakeasy turned supper club. Call for the current fish lineup.
Lookout Bar & Eatery
Lakeside pub fare facing Delavan Lake.
Waterfront Pub & Grill
A bar and grill on Delavan Lake.
Also worth a call
Jonathan’s on Brick Street, Watershed Saloon, South Shore Bar & Grill, Turtle Lake Tap & Grill, Whiskey Ranch (W9002 State Rd. 11), Fire2Fork, Pirate’s Cove, Lopez’s Anchor In, The Rustic Pub and Greenie’s Clubhouse at Delbrook.
Elkhorn and Lauderdale Lakes
Bunker Bar & Grill at Evergreen Golf Club
Lunch and dinner 7 days, plus a Friday fish fry.
Also worth a call
River Jack’s, Someplace Else in downtown Elkhorn, Lauderdale Landing (W5625 Westshore Dr.) and The Blue Roadhouse.
Walworth
Siemers Cruise-In Bar & Grill
Beer-battered fish fry plates and rotating weekly specials.
Also worth a call
Sammy’s on the Square and Nayeli’s Pizza & Restaurant.
Genoa City, Lyons, Sharon and Darien
Ye Olde Hotel
Friday fry in an 1860 hotel building. Reservations are a good idea.
Herner’s Hideaway
All-you-can-eat Friday fry, sports and live music.
Also worth a call
Creekside Jack’s (Genoa City), Fitzgerald’s Genoa Junction (fish boil), Village Tap (Lyons), Boar’s Nest and West Wind Diner (Darien), Coffee Cup Cafe and Tanner’s Grill & Bar (Sharon).
Whitewater
Second Salem Brewing
A brewpub on Cravath Lake. Check the food menu for the Friday fish.
841 Brewhouse
Brewery and restaurant with a Friday fish fry.
Also worth a call
Rick’s Eastside Pub, Binggs Farmstead, Willow Brook Golf Course, Fat Jack’s (146 W. Main St.), The Real MacCoys, Jessica’s Family Restaurant and SteveO’s.
East Troy and Lake Beulah
Lulabell’s Dockside
Food until 9 p.m. daily, sunset views and pier-side pickup for boats. Call for fish fry nights.
East Troy House
“Fintastic Friday Fish” on the square.
Twin Lakes, Powers Lake and Salem Lakes
Aces Sports Bar & Grill
All-you-can-eat Friday fry.
Copper Bottom
All-you-can-eat fish on Friday and Saturday.
Also worth a call
Sand Bar & Island Grill, The Blue Goose (Twin Lakes) and The Rock Bar II near Powers Lake.
Burlington area
Waterfront on Brown’s Lake
Friday fry, usually from mid-afternoon into the evening.
Also worth a call
Lucky Star Pub & Eatery, Countryside Pub and Brew & Ole’s Gastropub.
Fish fry during Lent
Lent is the busiest stretch of the fish fry year. In 2027, Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 10 and Good Friday on March 26. Expect longer waits every Friday in between, and extra fish nights at some spots.
Most places on this page fry year-round, so a summer Friday works just as well.
Best by category
| Category | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Oak & Oar | Cod, potato pancake and a sunset over the lake |
| Best supper club fry | Mars Resort | Friday haddock on Lake Como |
| Best value | Champs | Walleye and shrimp for $14.95 |
| Best perch | Lake City Social | $21 lake perch downtown |
| Best all you can eat | Nick’s on the Lake | Across from Riviera Beach |
| Best on the water | PIER 290 | All-day Friday fry on the piers |
| Best local secret | Tail Feathers at Hawk’s View | Year-round, book ahead |
Mistakes to avoid
Arriving at 6:30. That’s peak. Go at 5 or after 8.
Not calling with a big group. Parties of 6 or more should call ahead everywhere, even at first-come spots.
Assuming summer hours in winter. Seasonal spots close for the year, and others cut days. Check first.
Skipping the potato pancake. Just order it.
If you’re moving here
Friday fish fry is how a lot of the area spends its week’s end, especially in winter. Every town around the lake has a few regular spots: Lake Geneva’s Main Street, Williams Bay’s Geneva Street, Fontana’s harbor and the Delavan Lake shore.
Homes around Lake Como sit minutes from Mars Resort and Holly’s, and the Williams Bay and Fontana harbors each have their own Friday spots. Chicago is about 90 minutes away and Milwaukee about an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best Friday fish fry in Lake Geneva?
Oak & Oar at The Geneva Inn serves beer-battered cod with a potato pancake for $24 and a sunset over the lake. Mars Resort on Lake Como does a Friday haddock fry. For value, Champs on Main Street serves walleye and fantail shrimp for $14.95.
Where can you get an all-you-can-eat fish fry near Lake Geneva?
Nick’s on the Lake at 811 Wrigley Dr. runs an all-you-can-eat Friday fish fry downtown. Herner’s Hideaway in Genoa City, Aces in the Twin Lakes area and Copper Bottom in Salem Lakes also do all you can eat.
Which Lake Geneva fish fries have a lake view?
Oak & Oar on the south shore of Geneva Lake, Mars Resort and The Getaway on Lake Como, PIER 290 in Williams Bay, Nick’s on the Lake across from Riviera Beach, and The Village Supper Club on Delavan Lake.
Where can you get lake perch in Lake Geneva?
Lake City Social at 111 Center St. serves lake perch for $21 on Fridays. Perch costs more than cod everywhere, so check menus before you go.
What comes with a Wisconsin fish fry?
Fried or baked fish (cod, haddock, perch, walleye or bluegill), coleslaw, rye bread, tartar sauce, lemon and fries or a potato pancake with applesauce.
Do Lake Geneva fish fry restaurants take reservations?
Some do. Oak & Oar takes them online, and Tail Feathers at Hawk’s View strongly recommends them. Mars Resort is first come, first served. Call ahead on summer Fridays and for any group of 6 or more.
What time should you go for a Friday fish fry?
Before 5:30 or after 8. The 5 to 7 window fills at the popular spots in Lake Geneva, Fontana, Williams Bay and Delavan, especially from Memorial Day to Labor Day and during Lent.
Is fish fry only during Lent?
No. Lent is the busiest season (Feb. 10 to March 26 in 2027), but most restaurants, supper clubs and taverns around Lake Geneva serve fish fry every Friday of the year.
Ready to pick a Friday spot close to home?
Kim and Joel Reyenga with eXp Realty cover Geneva Lake, Lake Como and Delavan Lake, from downtown Lake Geneva condos a few blocks from Main Street to homes near the Williams Bay and Fontana harbors.
Search Geneva Lake properties Equal Housing Opportunity. Reyenga Team, eXp Realty.