Madison chain ice report

I got out on Sunday on Waubesa swamp and had few bites. We did have 3 solid inches of clear ice. The triangles and Monona bay were producing some gills but as usual a lot of sorting to get a supper. Waubesa was entirely frozen but the main lake was still very thin. With the super cold temps this coming week, we’ll be perch fishing before Christmas. I can’t remember the last time that happened. I either have a broken camera or a roached out battery or two. The new drill and 6 inch laser is the best money I’ve spent in years. We forgot the shiners. Typical first trip of the year.

sounds good i will be up on monona bay on sunday with a friend to get my panfish stick warmed up for our up-north adventure after christmas. will report back how we do

Where is the best perch fishing on the Madison chain of lakes. I fish the miss. but would love to find some Jumbos. I usually make it up once or twice a year.

all of the lakes have a good population. you will many people out fishing for them on all the lakes. monona and mendota are the deepest and you will see big groups of guys out in the middle. and waubesa and kegonsa are only about 30-40′ deep and there is a bunch of guys that fish out there too. usually you will need a perch weight with a ratfinkee or hali jigging spoon with spikes on usually does the trick.

You would get an argument from most perch yankers about which is the best. Lake Mendota probably has the biggest fish. You really need a wheeler with flotation and a permit to get around on Mendota, unless you are young and strong and like to walk a long ways to perch country. You have to move more on Mendota to keep up with them and the fish are 70 feet down so you have to keep everything or they will just die. Monona has some nice fish but it turns off and on like a light switch. Waubesa has a nice mixed bag of crappies and perch but they run a little smaller are harder to find and stay on. Pick your poison I guess. On a great day you can limit out in a couple hours. Other days most days, you might work hard for a dozen. When the locator lights up and all you see is fish for 15 yards off the bottom get on them fast. You’ll stick a few and they’ll be gone. I always use a deadstick with minnow head in addition to a jigging rod. Dropper rigs are preferred here. Mendota has 70-80 feet of water, Monona 60-70, Waubesa 35 feet max. I’ve never fished Kegonza but hear it is similar to Monona for approach. A neutral purple ratso plastic with a couple spikes on there on a dropper below a pimple or castmaster is how I ride. You won’t see very many lake of the Woods sized jumbos here but sometimes you get a few like those fat girls up there. You are more likely to get a bonus walleye on Waubesa. Young of the year jigging spoons in Perch…

I wanted to post an update on Madison area ice conditions. I fished the middle of Waubesa last weekend. The bite was tough but the ice was 7 inches in the deepest part of the lake. Lake Monona is frozen completely as of today but needs a couple days to build. People are fishing the bays on Mendota. The main lake is not yet frozen. Good luck and happy new year.

fished waubesa for perch on friday morning til about noon. I spent more time drilling and looking around than I did fishing. the fish seem to be scattered or just werent in (what seemed to be) the 800 yard swath of ice I covered. never came across any schools and only caught a few. Back out tomorrow to see if I can find em.

made it back out today and drilled a million more holes in search mode for some perch. It now looks like swiss cheese from out in front of bible camp up half way to hog island and back down towards the south end.
got tired of drilling holes, so I spent a few minutes down in the south end by the marsh for gills, missed a couple and caught a decent pike on a moonglow before calling it quits for the day.

We fished Waubesa on Thursday and worked hard for one little perch. I marked fish everywhere I went. They are glued to the bottom. I am betting the bite will pick up after this brutal cold front ends.

I did see a fair amount of fish laying right on the bottom, but knowing how tough they can be to catch, I concentrated my efforts on trying to find em schooled up and actively feeding. I think I am going to hit up monona some time later on in the week and see whats goin on out there.

I might head out on Wednesday and I’d also be going to Monona. Shoot a PM if you want to hook up. Still 50/50 here on if I am going or not.

My daughter lives just off Century Ave in Middleton. I know where Captin Bill’s is by the Harbor Athletic Club. Is there any fishing done on the lake there by Captin Bill’s or where you can see the lake from Allen Boulevard? We have to go there in 2 weeks and am looking for some new fishing.

Whiskeysour,

Lake Mendota is 10,000 acres and you can get on from there. There is a boat landing there at Marshall park. I’ve seen schools of 10 inch bluegills swimming right in the launch lagoon in there early ice before. Anywhere along the shore there are weeds from 5 feet deep to 10 feet deep. Anywhere you find weeds panfish are not far behind. Very clear water. You can get pike as big as anywhere on those weeds using a fat shiner on a tip up. It is a long walk to perch water but find 70 feet of water and there are gigantic schools of perch. Perch is a long walk on Mendota. Good luck and great handle.

But does anybody ever fish there? I don’t want to be an idiot out there. I guess I could just wait and if I see guys out there, head out there myself.

I really don’t have the equipment or experience to fish in 70 feet of water. Here on the Mississippi 15 feet is about as deep as I’ve ice fished except for jigging walleyes below the Lynxville Dam.

People fish there all the time. The best anglers however find their own bite. All you need to fish 70-80 feet of water is an ice rod, with at least that much line, and a flasher of some sort. I use a swedish pimple with 7 inches of flourocarbon instead of a hook and a ratso on the bottom of the dropper. Lake Mendota has huge fish of all species you can imagine. I’ve fished all over this state and few are better.

Thanks for the info kev. I might try it next time I’m out that way. Always fun to fish a new area.

There used to be a really good gill bite off Captain Bills. If you go off the launch on that street, just veer to the right a bit and head out about 100 yards. Watch the ice where the creek comes in to the left of Captain Bills. The ice can be pretty thin over there. Find the weeds and there should be gills around. Its probably about 6 to 8 feet deep there.