Fishing near Madison, WI
Sitting at the center of Dane County, Madison is built around the Yahara Chain of Lakes — five connected waters (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, Kegonsa, and Wingra) linked by the Yahara River. Lake Mendota, the largest at 9,781 acres and 83 feet deep, draws anglers statewide for bass, walleye, musky, panfish, and lake sturgeon. Farther afield, Lake Wisconsin sits roughly 45 miles northwest along the Wisconsin River corridor.
Species & education
Learn what type of fish are in Madison, Wisconsin and what's needed to catch them.
Find which waters have the species you want to catch
Bigmouth Buffalo
Ictiobus cyprinellus
Black Bullhead
Ameiurus melas
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
Bluegill Sunfish
Lepomis macrochirus
Brown Bullhead
Ameiurus nebulosus
Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
Burbot
Lota lota
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
Cisco
Coregonus artedi
Common Carp
Cyprinus carpio
Freshwater Drum
Aplodinotus grunniens
Green Sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
Longnose Gar
Lepisosteus osseus
Fishing guides near Madison
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Wisconsin licenses and regulations
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