Delavan Lake Fishing
A 1,906-acre Wisconsin lake in Walworth County, down to 52 feet.
Pick for panfishPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Geneva Lake: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
Delavan Lake at a glance
Find a Lake puts Delavan Lake at 1,906 acres, inside Walworth County. Maximum depth on file is 52 feet, with a mean of 21 feet. Delavan Lake is the nearest community, under a mile away. The DNR manages it from the Southeast Region. Biologists sort it into the complex warm dark lake class.
Species on record are panfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye. You can put in at 3 public boat landings. Satellite readings put average clarity near 8 feet (2017).
For the panfish herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Fish the WDNR rates in Delavan Lake
For Delavan Lake, Find a Lake gives each fish group an abundance rating.
| Fish group | WDNR abundance |
|---|---|
| Panfish | Abundant |
| Largemouth Bass | Present |
| Musky | Present |
| Northern Pike | Present |
| Smallmouth Bass | Present |
| Walleye | Present |
The class profile behind Delavan Lake
“Complex warm dark lakes often support great action fisheries for black crappie, and have potential to produced quality walleye, northern pike, and/or muskellunge fisheries.”
WDNR Find a Lake fish list and abundance, WDNR lake classification and fisheries designation layers, checked October 2026.
Trailering to a landing on Delavan Lake
- Delavan Lake Boat Ramp4 lanes, more than 50 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, Town of Delavan
- Blue Gill Road End Boat Landing1 lane, Town of Delavan
- Lake Delavan Carry-In Boat Landing1 lane, Town of Delavan
Landings within a short drive of Delavan Lake
- Comus Lake Boat RampComus Lake, 3 miles northwest
- Lake Geneva Access near Fontana-on-Geneva LakeLake Geneva, 4 miles southeast
- Williams Bay Boat RampLake Geneva, 4 miles southeast
- Lake Como RampLake Como, 5 miles east
- Lake Geneva Access near Williams BayLake Geneva, 6 miles east
- Lake Como – Schofield Road Boat LandingLake Como, 7 miles east
WDNR Boat Access and Shore Fishing layers and Find a Lake landing table, checked October 2026.
Clarity, bottom and depth at Delavan Lake
Delavan Lake has a bottom that is 30% sand, 30% gravel, 0% rock, 40% muck, according to WDNR.
The DNR calls Delavan Lake a drainage lake (a stream flows in and out).
WDNR records these invasives in Delavan Lake: banded mystery snail, curly-leaf pondweed, eurasian water-milfoil, hybrid eurasian / northern water-milfoil, ornamental water lilies (non-native nymphaea sp.), pennywort, phragmites (non-native) and purple loosestrife. Drain water and remove plants at the landing.
WDNR Find a Lake page, WDNR Landsat lake clarity layer, checked October 2026.
Keeper rules for Delavan Lake
Seasons, size limits and daily bags below are copied from the WDNR entry for Delavan Lake.
| Species | Season | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye, sauger and hybrids | May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027 | The minimum length limit is 18" and the daily bag limit is 3. |
| Muskellunge and hybrids | May 2, 2026 to December 31, 2026 on open water | The minimum length limit is 40" and the daily bag limit is 1. |
| Northern pike | May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027 | The minimum length limit is 32" and the daily bag limit is 1. |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027 | The minimum length limit is 18" and the daily bag limit is 1. |
| Panfish | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25. |
| Catfish | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10. |
| Lake sturgeon | Closed | No fishing allowed. |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | Closed | No fishing allowed. |
| Cisco and whitefish | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10. |
| Rock, yellow and white bass | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited. |
| Bullheads | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited. |
| Rough fish | Open All Year | No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited. |
| Paddlefish | Closed | No fishing allowed. |
| White perch | Open All Year | The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office. |
WDNR attaches this general rule to Delavan Lake: Catch and release fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open year round unless otherwise noted. Motor Trolling is allowed with up to 3 hooks, baits, or lures, per angler.
For all of Walworth County the guide reads: Certain waters in Walworth County are designated as urban (or special) waters and have different regulations (see pages 26-27). Motor trolling is permitted countywide (three hooks, baits or lures per person). Countywide: Walleye, sauger or their hybrids must be at least 18”.
Zone check for Delavan Lake: south of Hwy 10, Southern Bass Zone.
WDNR Lake Regulation search and the 2026-2027 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations, checked October 2026.
Stocking records for Delavan Lake
Between 2023 and 2025, 9 recorded releases put 75,807 fish into Delavan Lake.
| Year | Species | Size | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Black crappie | large fingerling | 4 in | 1,000 |
| 2025 | Black crappie | yearling | 4 in | 100 |
| 2025 | Muskellunge | large fingerling | 10 in | 600 |
| 2025 | Pumpkinseed | yearling | 3 in | 100 |
| 2025 | Yellow perch | yearling | 4 in | 50 |
| 2024 | Muskellunge | large fingerling | 10 in | 1,125 |
| 2023 | Black crappie | large fingerling | 3 in | 500 |
| 2023 | Muskellunge | large fingerling | 10 in | 1,200 |
| 2023 | Walleye | small fingerling | 1.5 in | 71,132 |
WDNR Fish Stocking Summary, stocking years 2023 to 2025. Wisconsin stocking.
Club and trail contests on Delavan Lake
The Delavan Lake event page lists permits, dates and winners.
How Delavan Lake compares nearby
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Max depth ft | Landings | WDNR class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delavan Lake | 1,906 | 52 | 3 | complex warm dark | |
| Comus Lake | 3 miles northwest | 131 | 6 | 1 | simple warm dark |
| Como Lake | 6 miles east | 955 | 9 | 2 | simple warm dark |
| Geneva Lake | 6 miles southeast | 5,401 | 135 | 6 | complex two story |
| Silver Lake, Walworth County | 9 miles north | 85 | 3 | 1 | simple harsh no fishery |
| Turtle Lake, Walworth County | 9 miles northwest | 141 | 30 | 1 | complex warm dark |
WDNR Find a Lake, lake classification and boat access layers.
Around Delavan Lake
Lakes a few miles from Delavan Lake
- Comus Lake3 miles northwest
- Como Lake6 miles east
- Geneva Lake6 miles southeast
- Silver Lake, Walworth County9 miles north
- Turtle Lake, Walworth County9 miles northwest
Bait and gear stops around Delavan Lake
- Delavan Lake Marinemarina, Delavan, under a mile
- Fleet Farm Delavanfarm and general store with fishing gear, Delavan, 1 mile
- Walmart Delavanfarm and general store with fishing gear, Delavan, 2 miles
- Lakeside Bait And Tacklebait and tackle shop, Delavan, 2 miles
- American Marine Boat Comarina, Delavan, 2 miles
- Geneva Lake Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Delavan, 4 miles
Towns close to Delavan Lake
- Delavan Lakeunder a mile
- Delavan2 miles
- Williams Bay4 miles
The county side of Delavan Lake
- Walworth Countyseat: Elkhorn
A Piscifun kit for Delavan Lake
.jpg){kind=link}
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Sport fish found around Delavan Lake
Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Before a trip to Delavan Lake, the short answers
Where is Delavan Lake on a Wisconsin map?
The lake lies in Walworth County, WDNR Southeast Region, under a mile from Delavan Lake.
What maximum depth does the WDNR list for Delavan Lake?
Find a Lake gives 1,906 acres and 52 feet at the deepest.
How many landings does Delavan Lake have?
3 mapped landings; Delavan Lake Boat Ramp is the largest.
What species are in Delavan Lake?
panfish (abundant), largemouth bass (present), muskellunge (present), northern pike (present), smallmouth bass (present) and walleye (present), per the WDNR.
What are the walleye rules on Delavan Lake?
Walleye, sauger and hybrids rule: The minimum length limit is 18" and the daily bag limit is 3.
What does a Wisconsin license cost for a trip to Delavan Lake?
Anglers 16 and older need a Wisconsin fishing license: $20 a year for residents and $55 for nonresidents, with a $5 first-time buyer rate for residents.
What is the bottom of Delavan Lake like?
Satellite clarity about 8 feet (2017). Bottom: 30% sand, 30% gravel, 0% rock, 40% muck. WDNR class: complex warm dark. Type: drainage.
Is there a tackle store near Delavan Lake?
Delavan Lake Marine is nearest at under a mile.
Is Delavan Lake a stocked lake?
Yes; the latest WDNR record is 2025: 1,000 black crappie, 100 black crappie and 600 muskellunge.
Make a weekend of Delavan Lake
Wisconsin license costs and limits are one click away.