Riley Lake

Portage County is home to Riley Lake, a mapped lake and the published measurements are about 8 acres and a maximum depth of 46 feet, which gives you a decent picture of what kind of day on the water you are planning.

A simple read on the lake

I would let the first few spots tell me what kind of day it is going to be with the first real effort focused on the best bank cover, any obvious weeds, and the deepest water I can reach before I spent the rest of the day chasing somebody else's old fishing report.

The species on record

For fishing, the current record for Riley Lake shows Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch; which makes it reasonable to try weeds, wood, rock, or docks for bass and weeds and easy cover for panfish, and keep the first trip from getting too complicated.

What I would do first

If I were putting together a simple plan for Riley Lake, I would bring a couple of dependable baits, fish the best-looking water I can reach, and pay attention to what the first few bites have in common, then I would confirm the current Wisconsin rules for the species I plan to target.