Natural lake (Madison)

Lake Mendota

Dane County, Wisconsin

The largest of Madison's Yahara lakes, bordered by the UW campus and the Capitol isthmus. It has abundant panfish and a strong mix of bass, pike, walleye and musky.

Air temp in Madison, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Lake Mendota (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area9,781 acres

Max depth83 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Panfish●●●●●

Abundant. Bluegill, perch and crappie. Weed edges and through the ice.

Smallmouth Bass●●●●○

Rock, gravel and points. Tubes, jerkbaits and drop-shots.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Northern Pike●●●○○

Common. 40 in minimum, 1 a day.

Walleye●●●○○

Points, flats and river mouths at low light. Jigs and live bait early, crankbaits in summer.

Musky●●○○○

Big baits along weed edges, rock bars and channel breaks, best in fall.

Catfish●●●○○

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and river mouths in the evening.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Panfish
Smallmouth Bass
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

1 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

10 public landings in totalPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all locationsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Walleye May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	18 in	3 / day
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027; page also notes catch & release year-round	14 in	5 / day
Northern Pike May 2, 2026-Mar 7, 2027	40 in	1 / day
Muskellunge May 2-Dec 31, 2026; open water only	40 in	1 / day
Panfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	10 / day
Catfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	10 / day
Lake Sturgeon Closed; no fishing allowed	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	0 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Wisconsin DNR ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Wisconsin DNR before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Deon's Live Bait & Minnows0.7 mi
2301 Commercial Ave, Madison(608) 244-5880 Directions ↗
Harley's Liquor & Bait2.1 mi
3838 Atwood Ave, Madison(608) 222-7941 Directions ↗
Cabela's4.8 mi
1350 Cabela Drive, Sun PrairieDirections ↗

Search more bait shops near Lake Mendota ↗

Local tips

It's a busy urban lake. Fish early on summer weekends.
Ice fishing for perch is very popular when the lake freezes.
There are 10 public landings and 7 public beaches around the lake.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Lake Mendota.

Loading reports...

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.