Madison Lake is a reservoir in Minnesota, near Blue Earth County.
Madison Lake is a reservoir in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Madison Lake covers about 1,441 acres, reaches a recorded 58 feet and holds about 14,601 acre-feet.
Madison Lake has an old channel, incoming water and quiet coves, and small water-level changes can move fish from the bank to the first drop.
Fish reported from Madison Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, bowfin, channel catfish, common carp, emerald shiner, fathead minnow, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, golden shiner, green sunfish, highfin carpsucker, iowa darter, johnny darter, largemouth bass, logperch, longnose gar, northern pike, pumpkinseed, river carpsucker, shortnose gar, spotfin shiner, spottail shiner, walleye, white bass, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.
For bass at Madison, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth.
For panfish at Madison, use a small jig or minnow beside brush for crappie, and fish a worm, cricket or tiny jig near weeds for bluegill, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish, and keep a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom for yellow perch.
For roaming fish at Madison, jig a minnow or troll a crankbait along points and deeper edges for walleye, and follow shad with a spoon, jig or small crankbait for white bass.
For large predators at Madison, cast a spoon, spinnerbait or swimbait beside weeds for northern pike.
For bottom fishing at Madison, put cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on bottom for channel catfish, and fish a worm or small piece of cut bait in quiet water for bullheads, and use corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig for carp.
Other choices at Madison include these plans: bounce a jig, worm or crayfish bait along firm bottom for freshwater drum, and work a tough soft plastic or cut bait near weeds and wood for bowfin.
Spring around Madison is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer is a good time to fish shade, weeds and the first drop into deeper water. Fall around Madison can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.
On a first trip to Madison, check incoming water, one bend in the old channel and a point near deep water with a moving lure, then slow down with a jig or worm where you get a bite.
A medium spinning rod covers smaller lures at Madison, while a heavier rod and stronger leader are better for northern pike.
At Madison, pick one cove and the closest point or drop into deep water, then fish that small area well before making a long move.
Not every trip. A better place at Madison is where a point, drop-off or group of baitfish gives the fish a reason to stop.
At Madison, it shows that a lot of the water sits away from the bank and around the old channel or deep end.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.