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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I'm from Illinois (Chicago) and I've been blessed with more time to fish this year than in past years. I normally stay within a hour of the south side (Chicago) when I fish except my yearly pilgrimage to the UP. I did a little research of some Wisconsin lakes that were close to Chicago and pewaukee really stood out. I know that this is a extremely pressured fishery but I was wondering if it is still worth the 2 hour drive there. I'm also open to other lakes around that area but I don't want to go much farther than 2-2.5 hours from Chicago since these will be single day fishing trips. Thanks everyone!! |
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Posts: 114
| Here's an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sports writer, Dec 2016. Sums things up rather good.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/outdoors/2016/12/11/smith-pewa...
Due to heavy pleasure boating during the summer, early and late fishing is better. Weekends will be like Easter Sunday at the deli...take a number and get in line.
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Pewaukee is a great lake for multi species. The muskie numbers are up and some quality fish show up also. There is prime times to hit the lake for certain patterns like live bait, casting or trolling. If you like casting early June and late September into early October is your best time frames. Trolling rocks in July and August. But hot water is an issue late July and into August usually. I shut my guide services down for muskies in July last year for 5 weeks straight due to 80 plus degree water temps.
Feel free to email me with any questions. I will be glad to steer you to your best options to make your trips the most productive with or without a guide.
Mike Koepp |
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Posts: 20179
Location: oswego, il | Don't rule any SE Wisconsin lake or the fox chain out. They all have peak boating times, fishing pressure and all produce fish. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | If you are going to make the trek, I'd suggest weekdays pre Memorial Day. Even weekday nights can get very crowded out there with club outings/league night(s)/bass tournaments. Weekends from Memorial Day on are a total zoo. Lightens up again in the fall a bit. |
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Posts: 102
| To add to Musky Brian's times to target to avoid some of the crowds, if it's going to be cooler, windier, or the best, rain, in the forecast, plan a trek up. Pleasure boater traffic diminishes greatly. It's also a large enough lake, that regardless of pressure, you can find some pockets to fish where it's not too bad...but it's a metro fishery, so there's generally quite a bit of pressure compared to non-metro areas.
Don't overlook the other lakes in that area...Okauchee, Oconomowoc, and Lac Labelle. And, if I lived down in Chicago, I wouldn't overlook putting Lake Geneva on my radar. Lots of fish being stocked there, they are growing fast, and that fishery could really turn into something. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Thank you everyone for all the replies. I'm still in search of my first muskie so I'm looking for lakes with good numbers and that are easier to fish. Big fish are just a bonus. From the small amount of research I did it seems that pewaukee fits that pretty well. But I'm defiantly going to consider other lakes around that area. I defiantly plan on trying lake Geneva as well since it's even a little closer. It seems that most of these lakes have a lot of pleasure boaters so that's just something I will have to deal with. Hopefully the pleasure boaters will bother me more than the fish. I'll probably end up going for the first time in June. I wish I could go early but I don't have have much time until the end of May. After May though I will have ton more time to fish.
As for pewaukee, what are some good places to start. I've never been on the lake, and also never really fished one that large. I don't want to take anyone's secret spot or anything but what would be so e areas to start, things to look for and baits to throw. Thanks again. |
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Posts: 213
Location: FIB land | Webster lake Indiana still produces. Can't be but 3 hours |
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Posts: 240
Location: Oconomowc, WI | Can't really go wrong starting with weededges (inside and outside) in the western portion of the lake. Bends and points especially. |
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Posts: 178
| check the regulations i'm not sure when Wi. Muskie fishing starts opening day might be May 7 ? I also live south of Chicago and do day trips to the chain, silver, Heideckie, wolf, and Webester and Bruce in Indiana. Good luck with getting your first Muskie |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Imo....if you have never caught a musky before, haven't fished SE WI for them before, and won't be guided then I don't necessarily think Pewaukee is the greatest choice. Yes it has lots of fish, but by no means should the word "easy" be thrown out. Quite honestly, you'd probably be just as well off staying closer to home and fishing smaller water like Bussee.
If you really feel like making the journey, you might be better off starting on a small lake like Wingra. I think it used to be better, but it's just much more manageable and better suited to someone light on experience. Just my .02...
Edited by Musky Brian 4/18/2017 9:13 AM
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Posts: 770
Location: Delavan, WI | I agree with musky brian I wouldn't call Pewaukee an easy lake - I have caught a couple hundred muskies over a 20+ year span including 3 over 50 from various waters in WI, IL MN and Canada and by no means am I calling myself an expert , but from having fished Pewaukee half a dozen times - over the last 2 years I am yet to land a musky from that particular body of water- I have seen several fish probably 4 out of the 6 times I was out and had 1 on that managed to throw the bait and had another blow up on a surface bait so these results are not the best, then again that is just me trying to figure out the lake at possibly off times and on weekends so my results can very much differ from others that are new to this particular body of water-if you can, you may want to consider hiring a guide-well worth every penny in the knowledge you will gain not just for the lake you are fishing , but just in general. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Like I previously said, I am defiantly open to other lakes that are within 2-2.5 hours of the south side. Pewaukee kind of just stood out so that's what I started the thread on. Size of fish isn't that important to me. If anybody else has semi-close lakes I would defiantly like to hear about them. Thanks again! |
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