Fishing Guide to Lake Geneva and Walworth County

If your idea of a perfect Lake Geneva weekend involves a boat ramp at 5 a.m. and a livewell by noon, this one’s for you. Here to swim, rent a pontoon, and find a beach instead? Go to The Guide to the 26 Lakes of Lake Geneva and the Southern Lakes Region.

Everyone tows past Geneva Lake on the way to somewhere. What most don’t realize until they’ve fished a few seasons here is that you’re sitting inside one of the deepest benches of good water in the Midwest, 26 lakes within about 21 miles, and they don’t fish alike.

Geneva Lake is 135 feet deep and gin-clear, holding lake trout and ciscoes. Lake Como is 9 feet deep and weedy, growing 8-pound largemouth. You can run downriggers in the morning and throw frogs in the afternoon, on the same tank of gas.

The lake-home math starts here. Plenty of anglers figure out their favorite launch before they figure out they want to live near it. Owning the shoreline is the difference between fishing Geneva at 4:30 a.m. and circling the parking lot at 4:30 a.m. When the daydream starts, Kim and Joel Reyenga handle the rest.

Where’s the best fishing in the Southern Lakes Region?

Quick answer: the best fishing near Lake Geneva depends on what you’re chasing. Geneva Lake for clear-water smallmouth, trout, and walleye. Delavan Lake for numbers and a true multi-species day. Lake Como for shallow trophy bass. The Lauderdale chain for muskie and structure-hopping. Whitewater Lake for walleye in the Kettle Moraine. Powers Lake for clear-water bass and pike.

Pick by how you fish:

Geneva Lake

Quick answer: Geneva Lake is 5,262 acres, 135 feet deep, spring-fed and very clear. It holds smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, lake and brown trout, ciscoes, and panfish. The clarity makes it a technical, low-light lake. Public launches sit on the west, north, northeast, and southeast shores.

This is the deep one, and the clear water cuts both ways. It grows fish that can’t live in the shallow lakes around it, but those fish can see your line, so light fluorocarbon and early-morning or evening trips earn their keep.

Smallmouth are the signature fish. Work the rocky points and break lines off Cedar Point, Elgin Club, and Linn Pier with drop-shot finesse worms or a Lindy rig in 12 to 15 feet. Largemouth hold on the flats off the Lake Geneva Country Club and Abbey Lagoon. Split-shot crawlers and green-pumpkin soft plastics in 10 to 12 feet get bit pre-spawn.

Walleye have rebounded. Spring and fall are the windows, around Conference Point and the east-bay hump, on jigs and trolled cranks. In fall, when the water drops near 63 degrees, northern pike stack in Williams Bay, which the locals call the Northern Alley, and big live bait is the play.

The bonus is the cold-water fishery. Lake and brown trout live in the deep holes from 40 to 90 feet through summer, and downriggers with spoons reach them. Geneva has given up an 18-pound brown. Ciscoes are the forage that feeds all of it, and ice anglers jig them up in winter.

Launch and parking get tight fast on summer weekends. The Williams Bay Municipal Pier launch is the common public access, so arrive early or fish a weekday. Bait, rentals, and guide trips run through Geneva Lake Bait and Tackle in Williams Bay.

See homes in Lake Geneva. | Towns: Lake Geneva, Williams Bay, Fontana

Delavan Lake

Quick answer: Delavan Lake is 1,906 acres, 52 feet deep, a drainage lake with clear water and heavy weed structure. After a late-1980s rehab it came back as one of the better multi-species lakes in the state: walleye, muskie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, and strong panfish. The public launch is at Community Park on the northeast shore.

If Geneva makes you work, Delavan pays out. Walleye are the most abundant gamefish, with a balanced size structure and fish topping 28 inches. Target the weed flats around The Island and the dredged channel at the Turtle Creek inlet with jigs and live bait, and switch to crankbaits at night.

Muskie reach 40 inches and better here, and the pike run big too. A weed harvester works the lake all summer, so pay attention to where it’s been. A fresh-cut weed edge is an ambush line, and the predators set up on it within a day.

Bass are self-sustaining, both species, and the bluegill and crappie fishing makes Delavan one of the best family lakes in the region. Bait and rentals run through Lakeside Bait and Tackle on WI-50.

See homes in Delavan. | Town: Delavan

Lake Como

Quick answer: Lake Como is 955 acres but only 9 feet deep, a shallow seepage lake just north of Lake Geneva. It warms early, weeds up hard, and grows trophy largemouth bass along with pike, muskie, and panfish. Town ramps sit on the northeast and south shores.

Como is the shallow-water bass factory. Because it warms weeks ahead of the deep lakes, it’s the best early-season largemouth water around, and it has real size, with 7- to 9-pound bass turning up here. From June through August the weed mats take over, so topwater frogs and weedless spoons are the tackle that works.

It’s a casual lake, close to town, good for a morning cast without making a project of it. Boat and motor rentals run through Geneva Lake Bait and Tackle.

See homes on Lake Como. | Town: Lake Geneva

The Lauderdale chain

Quick answer: the Lauderdale Lakes are a spring-fed chain of 3 connected lakes, Green, Middle, and Mill, totaling 841 acres and 57 feet deep. The chain holds walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, and good panfish. Ramps sit on the southwest end of Green Lake and the west shore of Mill Lake.

The chain fishes like 3 lakes in a trench coat. You can run between basins, tuck into channels, and fish a different kind of structure every hour, which is the fun of it and the challenge for a first-timer.

Largemouth hold around the docks in the Green Lake basin and around Goose Island. For walleye, work the drops toward the center of Middle Lake and the northwest end of Mill, but watch your lower unit in the channels. Crappie and bluegill numbers are strong, and the chain kicks out the occasional good smallmouth.

See homes on the Lauderdale Lakes. | Town: Elkhorn

Lake Beulah

Quick answer: Lake Beulah is 812 acres and 58 feet deep, a clear drainage lake near East Troy with about 8 feet of visibility. It holds largemouth bass, northern pike, panfish, some smallmouth, a few walleye in the 18- to 22-inch range, and stocked brown trout. The public launch is a fee site on the southwest shore.

Beulah is the biggest lake on the East Troy side and a genuine boating lake with depth to work. Throw crawlers and rubber worms for bass, and spoons or sucker minnows for pike around the Pickerel Lake inlet in spring. Stumpy Bay on the lower lake is the bluegill spot in summer, and the steep drops near the public launch and the south shore hold fish when the weeds get heavy.

Town: East Troy

Whitewater Lake

Quick answer: Whitewater Lake is 625 acres and 35 feet deep, set inside the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It’s a strong walleye lake with largemouth bass, northern pike, and good bluegill and crappie. The public launch is on the west side, and a state park sticker is required.

This is the walleye lake for anglers who’d rather camp than valet. Fish the deeper holes midlake and toward the south for walleye, and work the channel narrows before the northeast bay and the island at the south end for both pike and bigmouths. The bluegills run 8 to 9 inches along the weed edges.

Recreational pressure gets heavy on summer weekends, so fish weekdays or be off by mid-morning. Rice Lake sits next door if you want to bounce around, and Parkside Marina handles rentals and gear.

Town: Whitewater

Powers Lake

Quick answer: Powers Lake is 451 acres and 33 feet deep, a clear drainage lake with 10 to 15 feet of visibility, on the Walworth and Kenosha line near Genoa City. It’s managed for walleye and largemouth bass and also holds smallmouth, pike, and panfish. The public launch is on the northeast shore off County F.

Powers is a clear-water bass and pike lake with real numbers. The weedline along the north shore and the double-pointed peninsula on the south shore are the spots. Troll crankbaits along the weed edges for walleye, work the rock in 15 to 20 feet for smallmouth, and hit the shallow bay on the south end early for crappie.

Town: Twin Lakes and Genoa City

Turtle Lake

Quick answer: Turtle Lake is a 141-acre spring-fed lake at 30 feet deep southwest of Delavan, holding panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, and stocked channel catfish. There’s a public boat landing on the north shore.

A local sports club has stocked channel catfish here, so it fishes a little differently than the bass-and-panfish norm. Decent bluegill, crappie, and largemouth, with pike on the weed edges. The public landing on the north shore is open to everyone despite what the regulars might imply.

Town: Delavan

The Twin Lakes: Elizabeth, Mary, and Lily

Quick answer: the Twin Lakes near Genoa City are a family of panfish lakes. Lake Elizabeth at 725 acres is a known bluegill and crappie producer, Lake Mary at 327 acres holds bass, walleye, and ice crappie, and Lily Lake at 85 acres grows oversized largemouth. Launches are at Lance Park, the Lake Elizabeth Marina, and the Lily Lake ramp.

Elizabeth is the big one and the panfish engine, especially at spawn, when 8-inch bluegills and 10-inch-plus crappies stack in the northwest bay. The west and south shore cover holds bass, and the deep weed edges give up walleye. Mary runs nice bass and walleye and turns into a crappie lake through the ice.

Lily is small but mighty, the kind of place 4- and 5-pound largemouth come from. It has a paved launch, a pier, and a swimming beach, but parking is the bottleneck, with 2 car-and-trailer spaces on 76th Street and 4 car spaces on Lilly Lake Road. Get there early. The DNR spells it Lilly Lake, which is worth knowing when the sign and your map disagree.

Town: Twin Lakes and Genoa City

The smaller waters

These don’t need a full breakdown, but they earn a spot. Check access and current rules before you tow.

Pleasant Lake (145 acres, 29 feet, clear, Elkhorn): a quiet spring lake with a speed limit, stocked walleye, plus bass, pike, and panfish. Public ramp and park on the west side. Elkhorn

Potters Lake (155 acres, 26 feet, East Troy): largemouth, yellow perch, and pike, with a public launch on the southeast shore. East Troy

Rice Lake (144 acres, 10 feet, Kettle Moraine): shallow and weedy, with panfish, largemouth, and pike, and a launch in the Whitewater recreation area. Prone to winterkill. Whitewater

Lake Wandawega (120 acres, 8 feet, Elkhorn): shallow seepage water with panfish, largemouth, and stocked pike, plus a public landing off Highway 67. Famous more for Camp Wandawega than its fishing. Elkhorn

Booth Lake (118 acres, 24 feet, East Troy): good largemouth and panfish, but the launch is residents-only, limited to the Town of Troy and the Village and Town of East Troy. Own here or fish elsewhere. East Troy

Browns Lake (397 acres, 44 feet, Burlington): largemouth, lots of small pike, plentiful bluegill, crappie, and walleye. Public launch and beach at Fischer County Park, with a fee. Crappie come through the ice. Burlington

Bohners Lake (135 acres, 30 feet, Burlington): a solid catch-and-release bass lake with panfish and some pike. Throw spinnerbaits and plastics on the shorelines for 2- to 4-pound bass, and jig hellgrammites and waxworms in 10 to 12 feet off the north side for bluegill. Public landing off Lagoon Drive. Burlington

Benedict Lake (76 acres, 37 feet, Genoa City): small, deep, and private, with no public launch. Panfish, largemouth, and pike for those with shoreline access. Twin Lakes and Genoa City

The wider region

Seven more lakes sit at the outer edge of the region, 11 to 21 miles out. Most anglers here have never fished them, which is the argument for going. Sizes, depths, and access are below. Check current rules at the landing, because several of these lakes are run by lake districts with their own ordinances.

Phantom Lake (483 acres, 29 feet, Mukwonago): an upper and lower basin joined by a channel, holding largemouth, northern pike, and panfish. The Village of Mukwonago runs a free municipal launch and fishing pier at Phantom Glen Park at the end of Andrews Street. A permitted catch-and-release bass tournament runs Wednesday evenings through mid-September, which is the fastest way to learn the water. No-wake starts at 7 p.m.

Eagle Spring Lake (279 acres, 8 feet, Eagle): a shallow impoundment of the Mukwonago River with panfish, largemouth, and pike. The DNR runs a wide concrete launch with a large trailer lot. It’s also the only practical way onto Lulu Lake, a 48-acre state natural area reached by a natural channel, which is worth a paddle even if the fishing is slow.

North Lake (255 acres, 11 feet, Elkhorn): shallow, mucky, and weedy, with panfish, largemouth, and pike, and a public boat landing. Curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian water-milfoil are both present, so clean and drain on the way out.

Lake Lorraine (155 acres, 8 feet, Whitewater): low clarity and a muck bottom, which makes it a spring and fall crappie lake and an ice lake for pike rather than a summer destination. Public boat landing.

Blue Spring Lake (136 acres, 27 feet, Palmyra): abundant panfish with largemouth and pike present. The ramp is on South Shore Drive across from W1155, and it takes about 265 feet of backing over concrete panels that give way to rubble. There is no parking at the access, because it’s a fire lane, so sort out where the truck and trailer go before you leave home.

Lower Spring Lake (105 acres, 11 feet, Palmyra): shallow, weedy by late summer, with panfish, largemouth, smallmouth, and pike, plus a public landing and a beach. The ice fishing is the draw, especially for pike. The DNR lists it as Spring Lake.

Honey Lake (40 acres, 6 feet, Spring Prairie): the Honey Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District allows carry-in launching only at designated posted sites, with no trailers, dollies, or other mechanical means, and it prohibits internal combustion engines on Honey, Tahoe, and Del Monte lakes. Electric trolling motors only. Panfish, largemouth, pike, and catfish, on water where nobody is going to run a wake past your bobber.

Four-season strategy

Quick answer: fishing in the Southern Lakes Region runs all four seasons. Spring fishes the shallows, summer pushes fish deep and rewards early and late trips, fall is trophy season, and winter is ice fishing when conditions allow. Always check current Wisconsin DNR rules before you go.

Ice fishing

Quick answer: ice fishing is a major part of the season here, but never assume ice is safe. Check current thickness, ask the bait shops, and use extreme caution on spring-fed lakes like Geneva that hold weak spots near current.

Safe ice usually forms by late December or early January and the season runs about 60 days. Geneva gives up ciscoes and lake trout for those who know the holes. Lake Mary, Lake Como, and Delavan are the panfish and walleye ice lakes, and Lake Lorraine and Lower Spring are worth a look for pike. Several guides run heated-shanty trips with electronics, which is the easy way to learn winter water. Safety first, fish second.

Fly fishing and trout streams

Quick answer: fly anglers near Lake Geneva fish the classified trout streams of southern Wisconsin more than the lakes themselves. Use the Wisconsin DNR trout stream maps to find class, public access, and current regulations before choosing water.

The lakes get the attention, but there’s moving water worth a short drive for trout, smallmouth, and warmwater fly fishing. Check the DNR trout maps for classified water, easements, and the artificial-only and catch-and-release sections, then check access, then accept that one fly belongs to a tree before you start. In The Flow Fly Fishing runs guided trips in the area.

Fishing guides

Quick answer: a local guide is the fastest way to learn Geneva and Delavan, especially on a weekend trip. Guides bring the boat, electronics, rods, and bait. You bring a license. Confirm rates and availability when you book.

• Geneva Lake Bait and Tackle Guide Service (Williams Bay), Capt. Dan Mackowiak, multi-species and ice trips on Geneva, Delavan, and Como. (262) 245-6150.
• Guide IDE Fishing, Capt. Douglas Ide, Geneva, Delavan, Beulah, Como, Whitewater, and more. Open-water bass and walleye trips, muskie trips, plus ice fishing. (262) 993-7729.
• The Hook Up Guide Service, Capt. Bob Biedrzycki, Geneva and Delavan, open water and ice. (262) 758-9200.
• Dave Duwe’s Fishing Guide Service (Elkhorn), Delavan and Geneva specialist.
• In The Flow Fly Fishing, Capt. George Kaider, guided fly trips on area rivers and streams. (262) 325-1159.

Before you book, ask which lake fits your group, what you’ll target, whether it’s kid-friendly, what’s provided, and the weather policy.

Bait shops and gear stops

Quick answer: stop at a local bait shop before you launch for live bait, the current bite, and lake-specific advice. The region has a handful of real bait shops plus a few bigger stores that carry tackle. Verify hours before you drive over, because the small shops keep their own clock.

The dedicated shops, the ones with live bait and a fishing report:

• Geneva Lake Bait and Tackle (Williams Bay), the headquarters for Geneva and Como: live bait, lures, ice gear, boat and motor rentals, and guiding. Since 1963. 2885 WI-67. (262) 245-6150.
• Lakeside Bait and Tackle (Delavan), the Delavan Lake shop: live bait, tackle, and boat rentals, with online booking. 3542 WI-50. (262) 725-7007.
• Bloomfield Bait (Genoa City), a 24-hour self-serve shop down at the Twin Lakes and Powers Lake end of the region. Fresh, well-kept bait, cash in the box, bring your own bucket. W1126 Lakeshore Dr. (262) 818-1923.

If the bait shop’s closed and you need tackle, line, or something you forgot, these bigger stores have you covered:

• Heyer True Value Hardware (Walworth), the area’s full-service hardware store since 1868, with a real sporting goods aisle: soft plastics, spinners, lures, and fishing line. 200 WI-67. (262) 275-6133. heyerhardware.com.
• Fleet Farm (Delavan), the big-box stop with a full fishing and hunting department when you need a rod, a tackle box, or last-minute gear. 1516 E Geneva St. (262) 725-6280. fleetfarm.com.
• Dunham’s Sports (Delavan), sporting goods with rods, reels, and a wall of tackle in the Delavan retail strip. 421 S Wright St. (262) 728-1992. dunhamssports.com.
• Main Street Country Store (Walworth), a true country store with feed, waders, and the odds and ends you forgot to pack, plus coffee and ice cream for the drive out. 320 S Main St. (262) 275-0620.

Public launches and access

Quick answer: most of these lakes have public launches, but fees, parking, hours, and motor rules vary, and a few lakes have no public access at all. Use the Wisconsin DNR boat-access tools and check posted rules at the landing.

The water itself is always public in Wisconsin under the Public Trust Doctrine, but getting to it isn’t. A few worth knowing before you hitch up:

Confirm the launch location, fee, trailer parking, hours, and any slow-no-wake or clean-boat rules before you leave. Bring exact change if the local setup still believes in 1997.

Worth the drive

Quick answer: anglers who’ll tow farther can reach trophy muskie and walleye water within an hour. Pewaukee, Okauchee, Nagawicka, and Lac LaBelle in Waukesha County, plus Lake Koshkonong to the west, are destination lakes the local guides also fish.

If the region’s lakes aren’t enough, Pewaukee is one of the top muskie lakes in the state, Okauchee holds 50-inch fish, and Nagawicka and Lac LaBelle run muskie, walleye, and smallmouth. They’re a real drive, but a guide like Capt. Ide already fishes several of them, so it’s an easy add to a longer trip.

Do you need a license?

Quick answer: anyone 16 or older needs a valid Wisconsin fishing license to fish any lake in the region. Trout may require an inland trout stamp. Buy through the DNR’s Go Wild system or at a local bait shop.

Decide resident versus nonresident and one-day versus annual, check youth and senior rules, and confirm the regulations for your specific lake before you cast. Buy it before the coffee stop, not after the “I thought you bought it” conversation at the ramp.

Frequently asked questions