Lakes & Fishing

Bridal Pond at Pauquette Park is a popular place to cast a line.

BUFFALO LAKE

2,210 acres; 8-foot depth; panfish, bass and pike. West of State Highway 22, Montello.

CRYSTAL LAKE

27 acres; 12-foot depth; panfish, bass and pike. County Road P, east of Pardeeville, approximately 1.5 miles to Pardeeville Road. This lake has walk-in access only, carry-in for canoes, kayaks, etc. No developed boat ramp.

LAKE COLUMBIA

A man-made lake heated by the Alliant Energy generating plant. This lake stays ice free and features year-round open-water fishing: bass and catfish. State Highway 51 south to County Road V. Public access to Lake Columbia: enter from County Road V/J via the driveway and drive back to the parking area to the launch area on the southeast side of the lake. There is no boat ramp, anglers are limited to boats they can carry down to the water, and only electric trolling motors are allowed (the motor rules are posted on a sign on the chain-link fence next to the parking area). Fish from shore as well.

LAKE GEORGE

Portage and Pardeeville. Use of motor-powered craft is prohibited.

LAKE WISCONSIN

9,000 acres; 39-foot depth; panfish, bass, pike, walleye, sauger, muskie, sturgeon and channel and flathead catfish. Interstate 90/94 to County Road CS, exit at Poynette.

MASON LAKE

885 acres; 9-foot depth; panfish, bass and pike. State Highway 127 to County Road AA in Briggsville, 12 miles from Portage.

PARK LAKE

312 acres; 27-foot depth; panfish, bass, pike, walleye and channel catfish. The county boat landing on Highway 44 was newly renovated in 2019. Between State Highways 44 and 22 in Pardeeville.

SILVER LAKE

74 acres; 42-foot depth; panfish, bass and pike. Silver Lake Drive off of State Highway 16 or Haertel Street off State Highway 51 in Portage.

SPRING LAKE

24 acres; 32-foot depth; panfish, bass, pike, walleye and channel catfish. Just off State Highway 22 in Pardeeville. No gasoline-powered boat motors are allowed on Spring Lake.

SWAN LAKE

406 acres; 82-foot depth; panfish, bass, pike, walleye and channel catfish. Off either State Highway 33 or County Road P, between Portage and Pardeeville. A public boat launch is located on the south shore of Swan Lake at the end of South Shore Drive off of Breneman Road.

WISCONSIN RIVER

Approximately 35 miles long from Wisconsin Dells to Lake Wisconsin; accessible from Portage. The river has many sandbars and low-water areas, so precaution is advised. Panfish, bass, pike, walleye, sauger, muskie, catfish and sturgeon. A public access boat landing is located at the corner of Conant and Summit Streets in Portage. There are two key access points to the river between Portage and the Dells: a public boat launch on the Wisconsin River at Pine Island (south bank) along Levee Road 6 miles west of State Highway 33, and a public boat launch on the Wisconsin River off of County Highway O on Fox Run Road, south of State Highway 16, 3 miles east of Wisconsin Dells.