Allis Lake

This Washington County water is Allis Lake, a lake and the best current size-and-depth record is about 7 acres and a maximum depth of 34 feet, and that is the kind of basic information I actually want before fishing somewhere new.

Start with the basics

I would make the first trip about learning the water, not conquering it by giving the best bank cover, any obvious weeds, and the deepest water I can reach more than a couple of throwaway casts and I would give the fish a chance to show me whether they want shallow cover or nearby depth.

What you can fish for

For this exact water, the recorded fish are Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass, and Yellow Perch; and that is enough to put some time into weeds, wood, rock, or docks for bass and weeds and easy cover for panfish, and let current conditions settle the details.

Keeping the first trip simple

If a buddy asked me how to start on Allis Lake, I would rather learn one shoreline, bay, point, or break than spend the whole day running around, and I would make a quick regulation check part of the trip plan, not an afterthought at the ramp.