VanOrder Pond

If you are looking at VanOrder Pond, you are looking at a Portage County reservoir with verified water details of about 54 acres and a maximum depth of 7 feet, so you know roughly what you are getting into before loading the boat or walking the bank.

Size, depth, and the lay of the lake

The first trip does not need a giant tackle plan by checking what is happening around shoreline cover, weed edges, and the first clean drop away from the bank and once one type of water shows life, I would look for more of the same.

The fishery on paper

Recorded species at VanOrder Pond include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch; so I would make room in the tackle box for weeds and easy cover for panfish, and stay flexible if the water tells me something else.

My game plan

If I had a few hours to figure out VanOrder Pond, I would give the easy-to-read cover and depth changes a fair shot before trying anything fancy, and I would pull up the current Wisconsin fishing regulations before leaving home.