Ice fishing near Madison, WI: the lakes, licenses, shanty rules and ice safety

Check the ice yourself

The Wisconsin DNR doesn't monitor ice conditions; it says they're monitored locally, and that local fishing clubs, outfitters and bait shops are the best sources for current conditions. Its advice is that ice is never 100% safe.

• Ask a local bait shop or club about the spot you're headed to before you go.
• Check the thickness as you go with a spud bar.
• Take or wear a life jacket or float coat, and tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
• Keep your phone in a waterproof bag, and bring spare dry clothes.
• Watch for spots thinned by underground springs and current, and don't head out at night somewhere you don't know.

Our lakes guide has Lake Mendota's freeze dates and more on winter safety.

Get a fishing license

Anyone 16 or older, resident or not, needs a Wisconsin fishing license to fish any state waters, ice fishing included. A license runs from the day you buy it through the next March 31, and next season's licenses go on sale March 1. Buy one through the DNR's Go Wild system. Check the DNR's current fishing regulations for the size and bag limits on the lake you're fishing.

Where people get on the ice

Dane County Parks calls ice fishing "a popular activity on the Yahara chain of lakes," and says Lake Kegonsa has good perch and walleye fishing, particularly in winter.

• Lake Mendota: City lake access at Marshall Park, Spring Harbor, Tenney Park and Warner Park.
• Lake Monona: City access at Law Park, Olbrich Park and Olin Park, plus Monona's Tonyawatha Park, a small boat launch that's popular with ice anglers.
• Lake Waubesa: Babcock County Park near McFarland, with a boat launch, accessible fishing pier and fish-cleaning station.
• Lake Kegonsa: Fish Camp County Park on the northwest shore, with a launch and fishing piers, and Lake Kegonsa State Park near Stoughton (a state park vehicle sticker is required).

Parking and permits: Dane County requires a daily or annual Lake Access permit to park at all of its improved boat launch sites, year-round. The City of Madison requires a daily or annual permit year-round to launch a motorboat, iceboat or ATV from its launches.

Shanty deadlines

Permanent ice shanties, and any shanty you don't take off the ice every day, have to be off Wisconsin's inland waters south of Highway 64, which includes every Madison-area lake, by the first Sunday following March 1. (The DNR's dates were March 3 in 2024 and March 2 in 2025.) After the deadline, portable shanties are still allowed, but they must come off the ice whenever you're not fishing from them and at the end of each day. The DNR announces the dates each winter.

Bait

• Club 51 (7123 N. Towne Rd., DeForest): a bar and lounge with an attached bait shop; the bait shop keeps its own hours.

Bait shops are also the best place to ask about the ice, so call ahead.