Lake Monona, Dane County, Wisconsin — fishing destination

Dane County • South-Central Wisconsin

Fishing Lake Monona, Wisconsin

Mendota's southern neighbor in the Yahara chain — a fertile, slightly shallower lake known for abundant largemouth, pike, and slab panfish around its extensive piers and weed flats. Country Cave Baits injection-pours premium soft plastic baits built for the bass, panfish and walleye that call Lake Monona home.

3,274 acres Max depth 74 ft Dane County

About Lake Monona

Mendota's southern neighbor in the Yahara chain — a fertile, slightly shallower lake known for abundant largemouth, pike, and slab panfish around its extensive piers and weed flats.

Lake Monona is located in Dane County in South-Central Wisconsin and is one of the state's premier fishing destinations. Anglers visiting Lake Monona target Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Crappie and Smallmouth Bass throughout the open-water season. Whether you're fishing from a boat or the shore, Lake Monona offers diverse structure and productive water that responds well to injection-poured soft plastic baits from Country Cave Baits — made right here in Fall River, WI.

Fish Species in Lake Monona

Largemouth Bass Northern Pike Bluegill Crappie Smallmouth Bass

Landmarks & Points of Interest

Boat Launches & Access

Best Baits for Lake Monona

Our top-recommended Country Cave Baits for fishing Lake Monona in Dane County, Wisconsin. Each is injection-poured in Fall River, WI and shipped fresh to your door.

5 Inch Stick Worm for fishing Lake Monona, Dane County, Wisconsin

$5.95

The versatile workhorse

5 Inch Stick Worm

Our 5-inch stick worm is injection-poured with a soft plastic that shimmies on the fall and drives bass wild. Perfect for wacky rigging, Texas rigging, or a weightless presentation in shallow cover.

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4 Inch Craw for fishing Lake Monona, Dane County, Wisconsin

$6.25

Flip, pitch & punch

4 Inch Craw

A full-bodied 4-inch craw with aggressive kicking claws that thump on the retrieve. Built thick to hold up through dozens of fish, this bait excels flipped into heavy cover or dragged on a jig head.

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Crappie Bug for fishing Lake Monona, Dane County, Wisconsin

$5.25

Panfish creature bait

Crappie Bug

The Crappie Bug is a tiny creature bait with wiggling legs and a soft, buoyant body that hovers naturally on a light jig. Crappie, bluegill, and perch all fall for its subtle, buggy action under docks and around brush piles. It's a go-to ice fishing bait too — jig it through the ice around brush and cribs for slab panfish all winter.

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4 Inch Skinny Paddle Tail for fishing Lake Monona, Dane County, Wisconsin

$5.75

Swim & thump

4 Inch Skinny Paddle Tail

A slim-profile 4-inch paddle tail that swims with a seductive kick on a steady retrieve. Perfect for swim jigs, spinnerbait trailers, or a weighted swimbait hook through grass and around docks.

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