Southern Wisconsin Fishing Reports for Lakes Geneva, Delavan, Mendota, Waubesa

Fishing on Southern Wisconsin Lakes remains good despite the cool temps and unstable weather. As the lake continues to cool, the fish will transition from summer to fall patterns.
Walleye fishing is improving by the day. As the water cools, walleye action just keeps getting better. Currently I’m catching them on lindy, split shot, and drop shot rigged leech or nightcrawlers . I have tried jigging but without much success yet. Casting the Live Target Rattle Bait has been doing quite a bit of catching the walleye bite seems to be best the first hour of light and again at dusk. The best locations have been right on outside edge weed lines around points, or mid lake humps with scattered deep weeds. The best depth is about 18-20 ft of water.
Largemouth bass fishing has been good. The large numbers of fish have subsided, I’m averaging 9-15 fish each trip out. The best depth is 15-16 ft of water. I’m either drop shot or split shot plastics, Berkley 3" & 4" Leeches or using nightcrawlers fished on a split shot rig. The best locations have been around outside turns in the weed lines.

Crappie fishing has been pretty good. The fish are in the weeds in scattered weeds13-14 ft of water. Purple plastic and Berkley fry and one inch minnow fished on a 1/32 oz jig head have been producing all of the fish.

Bluegill fishing has been spotty some days they seem to very catchable, the next day they are not so catchable.
8/31/17 Lake Delavan, a.m. cloudy, 75 degrees, SE 10 mph winds, fishing was best in area along weed edges along steep drop offs, and around humps, used drop shot rigged night crawlers and leeches Caught a m, 8 large mouth, 2 small mouth, 3 walleyes, a few bluegills.


8/30/17 a.m. Lake Mendota P.M., light rain , 65 degrees, SW winds at 5-10 mph, water temp 58 degrees. Caught 8 small largemouth bass, and three walleye, and a few perch, white bass. We fished weed lines around a lot of main lake points in 12-15 ft of water. We used drop shot rigged night crawlers and leeches and bottom bouncer trolling live bait spinners for the walleye.

8/29/17 Lake Delavan, am, partly sunny, 75 degrees, light wind, water temp 75 degrees. Caught 3 smallmouth bass and 12 largemouth bass, 2 walleyes, in 13 to 22 ft of water using drop shot, splitshot livebait..

8/26/17 – Lake Waubesa, p.m. sunny, 79 degrees, W winds at 10 -15 fishing in areas with sand to rock, and weeds present with a drop shot rigged night crawlers and leeches or bottom bouncer trolling live bait spinners to locate the active school of walleye. Ended the day with a half dozen walleyes, some bass, and enough bluegills for a small fry.


8/21/17 Lake Geneva, a.m. cloudy, 65 degrees, light winds, fishing was best in area along weed edges along steep drop offs, used drop shot rigged night crawlers and leeches Caught a m, 5 large mouth, 2 small mouth, a few bluegills and punkinseeds.