Mississippi River Pool 7

Lake Onalaska

La Crosse County, Wisconsin

A broad Mississippi River backwater lake above Lock & Dam 7 near La Crosse. It's known for abundant bluegill and crappie among the stump fields and islands.

Air temp in Dakota, MN Loading current temperature…

Red pins match the numbered boat launches below. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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

Surface area8,391 acres

Max depth40 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Panfish●●●●●

Abundant. Bluegill and crappie in stumps and backwaters.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Northern Pike●●●○○

Weed edges and bays. Spoons, spinnerbaits and tip-ups through the ice.

Walleye●●●○○

Current near the dam and wing dams.

Smallmouth Bass●●○○○

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

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

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

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

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

1Great River LandingPublic
Onalaska, south endDirections ↗
2Mosey's LandingPublic
East shoreDirections ↗
3Fred Funk Boat LandingPublic
North endDirections ↗
7 public landings in totalPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all locationsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Lake Onalaska are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: Wisconsin DNR ↗

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.

Tri State Bait & Tackle4.6 mi
103 Hillview Blvd, La Crescent · closest to Great River Landing(507) 895-2000 Directions ↗
Hogline Bait & Tackle17.2 mi
302 Mankato Avenue, Winona · closest to Fred Funk Boat Landing(507) 474-9999 Directions ↗
Emma's Midway Bait and TackleNearby
N5610 County Rd OT, OnalaskaDirections ↗

Search more bait shops near Lake Onalaska ↗

Local tips

Stump fields are everywhere. Learn the channels before running fast.
Levels change with the river. Check the Pool 7 stage.
Boundary-water rules apply.

Angler reports

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

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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.