Lake Pepin Fishing
A 24,550-acre Wisconsin lake in Pepin County and Pierce County, down to 60 feet.
Pick for largemouth bassPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
Lake Pepin at a glance
Find a Lake puts Lake Pepin at 24,550 acres, inside Pepin County and Pierce County. Maximum depth on file is 60 feet. Stockholm is the nearest community, about 1 mile away. The DNR manages it from the West Central Region. Biologists sort it into the simple warm dark lake class.
Species on record are largemouth bass, northern pike and panfish. You can put in at 6 public boat landings. Satellite readings put average clarity near 4.8 feet (2017).
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For Lake Pepin, Find a Lake gives each fish group an abundance rating.
| Fish group | WDNR abundance |
|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Present |
| Northern Pike | Present |
| Panfish | Present |
The class profile behind Lake Pepin
“Simple warm dark lakes can provide great opportunities for action for black crappie, and often also support bluegill and largemouth bass. They rarely have any walleye or muskellunge.”
WDNR Find a Lake fish list and abundance, WDNR lake classification and fisheries designation layers, checked October 2026.
Trailering to a landing on Lake Pepin
- Bay City Campground Boat Ramp1 lane, 6 to 10 trailer stalls, boarding dock, restroom, fish cleaning, Village of Bay City
- Beef Slough Landing1 lane, 6 to 10 trailer stalls, US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Deer Island Landing1 lane, 1 to 5 trailer stalls, Town of Pepin
- Maiden Rock Park Boat Launch1 lane, 6 to 10 trailer stalls, boarding dock, Village Offfice
- Pontoon Slough Landing1 lane, 6 to 10 trailer stalls, US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Stockholm Municipal Park1 lane, 6 to 10 trailer stalls, Village of Stockholm
Landings within a short drive of Lake Pepin
- Chippewa River Tiffany Wildlife Area Boat LandingChippewa River, 12 miles east
WDNR Boat Access and Shore Fishing layers and Find a Lake landing table, checked October 2026.
Clarity, bottom and depth at Lake Pepin
The DNR calls Lake Pepin a drainage lake (a stream flows in and out).
WDNR records these invasives in Lake Pepin: zebra mussel. Drain water and remove plants at the landing.
Local boating ordinances on Lake Pepin cover state boating laws adopted only, houseboat regulations, littering, slow-no-wake area, swimming area, speed limits (mph).
WDNR Find a Lake page, WDNR Landsat lake clarity layer, checked October 2026.
Keeper rules for Lake Pepin
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye and sauger | 3 in total; minimum length 15 inches | May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027 |
| Northern pike (south of Hwy 10) | 2; minimum length 26 inches | May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027 |
| Largemouth bass | 5; minimum length 14 inches | May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027 |
| Smallmouth bass (Southern Bass Zone) | 5 in total with largemouth bass; minimum length 14 inches | May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027 |
| Muskellunge | 1; minimum length 40 inches | May 2, 2026 – Dec. 31, 2026 (open water only) |
| Panfish | 25 in total; no minimum length | Open all year |
| Catfish | 10 in total; no minimum length | Open all year |
| Cisco and whitefish | 10 in total; no minimum length | Open all year |
| Rock, yellow and white bass | No bag limit; no minimum length | Open all year |
| Bullheads and rough fish | No bag limit; no minimum length | Open all year |
Statewide inland rows cover Lake Pepin, since no lake-specific record exists.
For all of Pepin County the guide reads: Motor trolling is permitted countywide (three hooks, baits or lures per person).
Zone check for Lake Pepin: 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 Lake Pepin
Between 2023 and 2025, 14 recorded releases put 236,812 fish into Lake Pepin.
| Year | Species | Size | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brown trout | yearling | 6.46 in | 60,514 |
| 2025 | Chinook salmon | small fingerling | 3.37 in | 165,467 |
| 2025 | Muskellunge | large fingerling | 10.77 in | 499 |
| 2025 | Rainbow trout | yearling | 8.75 in | 1,000 |
| 2025 | Rainbow trout | large fingerling | 8.3 in | 733 |
| 2025 | Rainbow trout | yearling | 9 in | 428 |
| 2025 | Rainbow trout | small fingerling | 2 in | 150 |
| 2024 | Lake sturgeon | yearling | 18.5 in | 2 |
| 2024 | Muskellunge | large fingerling | 11.5 in | 1,000 |
| 2024 | Rainbow trout | yearling | 8.65 in | 1,000 |
| 2024 | Rainbow trout | yearling | 9 in | 400 |
| 2023 | Brown trout | yearling | 6.4 in | 4,269 |
WDNR Fish Stocking Summary, stocking years 2023 to 2025. Wisconsin stocking.
How Lake Pepin compares nearby
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Max depth ft | Landings | WDNR class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Pepin | 24,550 | 60 | 6 | simple warm dark | |
| Goose Pond, Pepin County | 11 miles southeast | 32 | 0 | simple warm dark | |
| Chimney Lake | 11 miles southeast | 33 | 0 | simple warm dark | |
| The Bay | 11 miles southeast | 102 | 0 | simple warm dark | |
| Duck Lake, Buffalo County | 12 miles east | 53 | 3 | 0 | simple warm dark |
| Nugget Lake | 12 miles north | 117 | 50 | 2 | complex warm dark |
WDNR Find a Lake, lake classification and boat access layers.
Around Lake Pepin
Lakes a few miles from Lake Pepin
- Goose Pond, Pepin County11 miles southeast
- Chimney Lake11 miles southeast
- The Bay11 miles southeast
- Duck Lake, Buffalo County12 miles east
- Nugget Lake12 miles north
Bait and gear stops around Lake Pepin
- Pepin Marina Incmarina, Pepin, 8 miles
- Smith Brothers Landingbait and tackle shop, Pepin, 8 miles
- Trenton Island Yact Clubmarina, Hager City, 14 miles
- Fin-Tech Tackle Cobait and tackle shop, Ellsworth, 17 miles
- Alma Marinamarina, Alma, 21 miles
- Riverside Bait And Liquor LLCbait and tackle shop, Alma, 22 miles
Towns close to Lake Pepin
- Stockholm1 mile
- Maiden Rock5 miles
- Pepin8 miles
The county side of Lake Pepin
- Pepin Countyseat: Durand
- Pierce Countyseat: Ellsworth
A Piscifun kit for Lake Pepin
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Sport fish found around Lake Pepin
Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District, Public domain
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Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Before a trip to Lake Pepin, the short answers
Where is Lake Pepin on a Wisconsin map?
The lake lies in Pepin County and Pierce County, WDNR West Central Region, about 1 mile from Stockholm.
What maximum depth does the WDNR list for Lake Pepin?
Find a Lake gives 24,550 acres and 60 feet at the deepest.
How many landings does Lake Pepin have?
6 mapped landings; Bay City Campground Boat Ramp is the largest.
What species are in Lake Pepin?
largemouth bass (present), northern pike (present) and panfish (present), per the WDNR.
What are the walleye rules on Lake Pepin?
The statewide table covers it.
What does a Wisconsin license cost for a trip to Lake Pepin?
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 Lake Pepin like?
Satellite clarity about 4.8 feet (2017). WDNR class: simple warm dark. Type: drainage.
Is there a tackle store near Lake Pepin?
Pepin Marina Inc is nearest at 8 miles.
Is Lake Pepin a stocked lake?
Yes; the latest WDNR record is 2025: 60,514 brown trout, 165,467 chinook salmon and 499 muskellunge.
Make a weekend of Lake Pepin
Wisconsin license costs and limits are one click away.