Lake Elysian near Janesville

So, I have been looking for lakes within an hour of Rochester for a while now trying to find a change of pace from the Sippi. Have not seen much about this shallow/fertile lake so it has always peaked my interest. Is it full of carp? Does it suffer from winterkill often? The survey shows a good population of walleye and crappie but it was done 5 years ago.

Anyway I made the 3 hour round trip and hoped for the best and expected the worst. I got to say it is a really cool body of water! I was surprised to see 20 or so boats in the lot but it was a friday.

I spent the first hour or so just side scanning the lake like any new to me body of water. I looked for a distinct weedline and was either going to throw floats in the weeds or pull outside with spinners and a crawler. It is a wind swept lake and even on a supposedly calm day, it still made for a good walleye chop. I tried hard for crappie but I was lost trying to find them. It took me a while of exploring but I was able to find a couple 16″ eyes trolling cranks in 4-8 feet. pulling spinners only brought in smaller pike outside the weedline. the lake was pretty green where the water was calm and the cleaner water off the points was my best bet so that is where I focused.

not saying I crushed them but I was able to find some willing fish. it took a while but trolling cranks seems to be the best bet on that day anyway.

anyone here ever fish this lake either hard or soft water? I want to try it again someday but would like to hear some other strategies for targeting the crappie and walleye.

It takes one sad soul to call yourself a walleye fisherman and live in the Rochester area. Been there done that The river, in my opinion, gets pretty old pretty quick. Goodluck on your search!

Sad?? Not really…..I love fishing the river and just looking for another option. Evidently nobody fishes this particular lake.

That’s fair. I used to fiddle around some of those lakes as a teenager during ice season but have never fished the area by boat. If you aren’t dead set on Elysian, which it doesn’t sound like you are, maybe try Cannon or Wells? Never fished them myself but they look good on lake finder!

That’s pretty much the strategy to use on that lake from what I’ve been told. Especially in the fall. I’ve never fished it though.

As for the algae boom, I have found too that the better fishing is where the water is cleaner.

I have fished it several times. Pulling cranks is probably the most effective way. Have also caught a few walleyes throwing a jig and live bait or plastic to shoreline structure.

Gerty wrote:

I have fished it several times. Pulling cranks is probably the most effective way. Have also caught a few walleyes throwing a jig and live bait or plastic to shoreline structure.

Any idea where to look for crappie out there? Guessing they probably roam around?

Give lake Washington a try next time

eyeguy507 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gerty wrote:</div>
I have fished it several times. Pulling cranks is probably the most effective way. Have also caught a few walleyes throwing a jig and live bait or plastic to shoreline structure.

Any idea where to look for crappie out there? Guessing they probably roam around?

EyeGuy507 – That’s the hard part. Not a lot of real defined structure (while looking at a contour map). There are some shorelines that have some downed tree tops out into the water a ways. That is what I would target.