34 questions
Questions about fishing Shawano Lake
Every answer here traces to the Wisconsin DNR 2023 comprehensive survey, the DNR regulation page for WBIC 322800, or the local pattern named on the tactics page. Seasons and limits are the 2026–27 license year and they change, so check the DNR page before you fish.
Muskellunge
When is the best time to fish for musky on Shawano Lake?
Mid-September to the end of October is the trophy window on Shawano Lake. Water falls from 65 to 48 °F, the fish pull toward the deep weed edge in the west basin, the Loon Lake channel and the Shawano Lake Outlet, and the biggest fish of the year feed. The season runs May 2 to December 31, open water only, with no ice season for musky.
What lures work for musky on Shawano Lake?
Bucktails in #7 to #10 along the deep weed edge carry the summer, from June through mid-September. Topwater works at first and last light in July and August. From mid-September to the December 31 close, switch to glide baits and jerkbaits 8 to 10 inches long, plus deep-running crankbaits trolled on the basin edge. In May, fish smaller and slower: 7 to 9 inch rubber and a #5 bucktail over new weed growth.
Can you use live suckers for musky on Shawano Lake?
Yes. Start rigging suckers once the surface temperature drops under 65 °F, which is usually the second week of September. A quick-strike sucker rig drifted under a float along the deep weed edge is the highest-percentage way to put a 45-inch fish in the net here. Set the hooks inside 10 seconds so the fish is hooked in the jaw. Skip live bait in July and August, because water over 75 °F makes a long fight dangerous for the fish.
Where do you fish for musky on Shawano Lake?
Four areas hold musky on Shawano Lake: the deep weed edge in the west basin, which holds most of the 6.16% of the lake deeper than 20 feet; the quarter-mile channel joining Shawano Lake to Loon Lake, which anglers call the Narrows; the Shawano Lake Outlet, where current runs all season; and the shallow dark-bottom bays such as Cecil Bay and the north shore flats in May, when musky spawn at 50 to 60 °F.
How many muskies are in Shawano Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR netted 46 muskellunge across the whole five-water Shawano system in the 2023 comprehensive survey, at 0.2 fish per net night, which is the 32nd percentile statewide. The DNR calls it a low-quantity, high-quality fishery. No stocking happened from 2013 to 2017 and that gap still shows in the adult population.
How big do muskies get in Shawano Lake?
The longest muskellunge the DNR measured in the Shawano Lake system in 2023 went 49.8 inches, and the average netted fish ran 38.2 inches. Size structure sits at a PSD of 51, the 17th percentile statewide. Wisconsin keeps no per-lake record book, so 49.8 inches is a verified floor rather than a ceiling.
What is the musky size limit on Shawano Lake?
A muskellunge must be at least 40 inches long to keep on Shawano Lake, with a bag limit of 1 fish per day. The season runs May 2 to December 31, 2026, open water only.
Why should you figure-eight every cast on Shawano Lake?
Shawano Lake runs stained with low water clarity, so musky follow a lure right to the boat before they commit. A figure-eight at the end of every cast, including the last one of the day, converts followers into fish. Local practice treats it as part of the retrieve, not an extra.
Fishing the lake
What is the best time of year to fish Shawano Lake?
It depends on the fish. May 2 to late May produces the best walleye and pike fishing of the year. June turns on largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed and the musky bucktail bite. Mid-September through October is the musky trophy window. January and February are the best crappie and yellow perch months, through the ice.
What is the best time of day to fish Shawano Lake?
From late June through August, walleye on Shawano Lake feed after dark, so fish the weed edges between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. Musky and bass hit best at first and last light in summer. Perch and panfish feed in daylight. Recreational boat traffic peaks on summer weekends and the launches back up, so be on the water before 9 a.m.
Where are the best fishing spots on Shawano Lake?
Ten named areas produce on Shawano Lake: Cecil Bay and the east taper, the Cecil Point drop-off, the channel to Loon Lake, the west basin, the north shore flats off the county park, the Shawano Lake Outlet, Wolf River Pond, the Wolf River below the dam, Loon Lake, and Washington Lake. The Shawano Lake Outlet scores best in the whole system, with the biggest largemouth and the longest yellow perch the DNR measured.
Where do you catch walleye on Shawano Lake?
Fish the Shawano Lake Outlet and the Loon Lake channel in the first three weeks of May, on the tail of the spring run. Work the steep drop-off north of Cecil Point in June, on the sharp inside turns and the points. From late June through August, troll shallow stickbaits along the deep weed edges after dark. The walleye minimum here is 18 inches with a 3-fish bag, a Shawano and Waupaca county rule stricter than most of Wisconsin.
Is Shawano Lake good for ice fishing?
Yes, for panfish and walleye. Crappie hold in the one deep hole in the west basin, in 15 to 25 feet, suspended off the bottom. Yellow perch sit shallow, in 4 to 5 feet of flooded timber. Walleye feed on the weed edge after dark. The local standard for panfish is a 4 mm tungsten jig or a 1/32 oz jigging spoon. No agency measures or certifies ice thickness on this lake, so drill your own holes and check with a local bait shop.
What fish can you catch in Shawano Lake in June?
June is the strongest all-round month on Shawano Lake. Bluegill and pumpkinseed are on the beds in 1 to 6 feet on the north shore flats and in Cecil Bay. Largemouth bass sit in the pads and reeds for a Texas rig. The musky bucktail bite turns on along the deep weed edge. Walleye still feed in daylight on the Cecil Point break.
Do you need a boat to fish Shawano Lake?
No, but a boat opens most of the lake. Shawano Lake County Park has an ADA-accessible fishing pier and a fish cleaning station. The Wolf River below the Shawano dam fishes from the bank for white bass and walleye, outside the April 15 to May 15 refuge closure. The lake has 6 trailer ramps and 2 carry-ins.
The fish in the lake
What fish are in Shawano Lake?
Shawano Lake holds 19 species: walleye, muskellunge, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass, white bass, lake sturgeon, channel catfish, black bullhead, freshwater drum, common carp, bowfin and golden shiner. The DNR published full survey tables for 8 of them in 2023.
What is the best fish to target on Shawano Lake?
Pumpkinseed rate highest. Shawano Lake sits in the 96th percentile statewide for pumpkinseed abundance at 85.3 fish per mile of electrofishing, and the 98th percentile for fish over 7 inches. Walleye size is the other standout: a PSD of 97 is the 87th percentile, so almost every stock-size walleye in the lake is already quality size.
Are there a lot of walleye in Shawano Lake?
No. The DNR estimates 5,257 adult walleye, or 0.8 fish per acre against a management goal of 1.5, and the fall 2023 survey found no young-of-the-year at all. The population is thin and the fish are large: the 2023 survey netted walleye to 27.4 inches and the average measured 19.0 inches.
Where do the walleye in Shawano Lake come from?
A DNR oxytetracycline mark evaluation found that 66% of the adult walleye in Shawano Lake in 2023 hatched in a lakeside hatchery run by Walleyes for Tomorrow volunteers out of Cecil. The other 34% came from state hatchery stockings. Every young-of-the-year walleye sampled in 2016 traced back to that volunteer operation.
How big do bluegill get in Shawano Lake?
The longest bluegill the DNR measured in the system went 10.0 inches, out of Wolf River Pond, against 8.9 inches in the main lake. Growth is slow: a 7-inch male is 7.4 years old, which is the 12th percentile statewide, and the DNR names harvest of the big fish as the cause. Wolf River Pond bluegill reach 7 inches about two and a half years faster.
Are there sturgeon in Shawano Lake?
Yes, and you may not fish for them. Lake sturgeon is closed on Shawano Lake, with a bag limit of zero. You can watch the spawning run on the Wolf River below the Shawano dam in April, but targeting a sturgeon here is illegal.
Are there smallmouth bass in Shawano Lake?
A few. The bottom is 88% sand and 12% muck with no gravel or rock, which gives smallmouth almost nothing to hold on. The 2023 survey listed them as an electrofishing target but published no size or abundance table. Fish the current in the Loon Lake channel and the Shawano Outlet, or the bridge pilings and dock cribs.
Seasons, limits and access
When does fishing season open on Shawano Lake?
The general inland game fish opener is May 2, 2026. Walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass run May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027. Muskellunge runs May 2 to December 31, 2026, open water only. Panfish, including bluegill, pumpkinseed, crappie and yellow perch, are open all year.
What is the walleye limit on Shawano Lake?
Three walleye per day, with an 18-inch minimum length. That minimum is a Shawano and Waupaca county rule and it is stricter than most of Wisconsin. The season runs May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027.
What is the panfish limit on Shawano Lake?
Ten panfish per day in total, with no minimum length. The panfish category covers bluegill, pumpkinseed, other sunfish, crappie and yellow perch, and the season is open all year.
How much does it cost to launch a boat on Shawano Lake?
A launch permit costs $5.00 for the day or $30.00 for the year, or $20.00 annually if you are 65 or older, active or retired military, or a disabled veteran. Daily permits sell on site. Annual permits sell at Shawano City Hall and the Shawano County Clerk.
How many boat landings are on Shawano Lake?
Six trailer ramps and two carry-in accesses sit on Shawano Lake itself. The Shawano Lake County Park ramp on the north shore is the biggest, with roughly 45 car and trailer units of parking, a fish cleaning station, an ADA-accessible fishing pier and a campground.
Is there a fishing closure on the Wolf River at Shawano?
Yes. From April 15 to May 15, the Wolf River below the Shawano dam is a fish refuge and is closed to fishing. The Shawano Lake Outlet above it stays open.
The lake itself
How deep is Shawano Lake?
Shawano Lake has a maximum depth of 39.5 feet and a mean depth of 9 feet. Only 6.16% of the lake is deeper than 20 feet and 11.3% is shallower than 3 feet. It holds 54,270 acre-feet of water over a bottom that is 88% sand and 12% muck.
How big is Shawano Lake?
Shawano Lake covers 6,215 acres with 18.3 miles of shoreline, in Shawano County, Wisconsin. The DNR surveys it together with Loon Lake, Washington Lake, the Shawano Outlet and Wolf River Pond as one 6,830-acre system with 33.6 miles of shoreline. Its Wisconsin water body identification code is WBIC 322800.
When does the ice go out on Shawano Lake?
Mid-April in a normal year. Yellow perch spawn first after ice-out, at 45 to 50 °F, followed by northern pike at 34 to 40 °F in the reeds, walleye at 40 to 50 °F in the outlet and the tributaries, and muskellunge last, shallow, at 50 to 60 °F.
Is the water in Shawano Lake clear?
No. Shawano Lake runs stained with low clarity over a shallow, weedy basin. Alkalinity is 86 ppm, which is hard water. The stain is why musky follow lures to the boat here and why the figure-eight matters.
What invasive species are in Shawano Lake?
Eight aquatic invasive species are established in Shawano Lake: zebra mussel, Eurasian water-milfoil, hybrid Eurasian and northern water-milfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, rusty crayfish, banded mystery snail, Chinese mystery snail and faucet snail. Wisconsin law requires you to remove all plants and animals from your boat and trailer, drain every container of water, and never move live fish away from a landing.
Where is Shawano Lake?
Shawano Lake sits in Shawano County, Wisconsin, about 40 miles northwest of Green Bay, at 44.8074° N, 88.5187° W. The City of Shawano is on its west end and the Village of Cecil on its east end. It drains through the Shawano Lake Outlet into the Wolf River at the Shawano dam.