Lake Chetac

Lake Chetac

Size
2,401ac
Boat Launch
Yes
Carry-in Launch
No
Toilet
No
Boat Dock
No
Species in Lake Chetac
Walleye
Walleye
Bluegill
Bluegill
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
Perch
Perch
Crappie
Crappie
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Northern pike
Brook trout
Brook trout
Pumpkinseed
Pumpkinseed
Rock bass
Rock bass
Striped Bass
Striped Bass
White bass
White bass

Overview

Perch fishing is good all year. Decent populations of walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie and bluegill.

Lake Chetac Map

Fishing Regulations

Special Fishing regulations: This lake has special fishing regulations that differ from statewide or border water regulations for those species identified below and take precedence. Regulations listed below are currently in place. Visit the fishing regulations page for links to upcoming regulations for specific lakes.

Special Waterbody Regulations

  • Motor Trolling is allowed with up to 3 hooks, baits, or lures, per angler.

Special Species Regulations

  • Lake sturgeon: Closed. No fishing allowed.
  • Trout and salmon: See Trout regulations layer.
  • Shovelnose sturgeon: Closed. No fishing allowed.
  • Ruffe: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
  • Longnose gar: See Rough Fish.
  • Hybrid, Striped, Yellow, and White Bass: See Rock, Yellow and White Bass.
  • Shortnose gar: See Rough Fish.
  • Sauger and hybrids: See Walleye, Sauger, and Hybrids.
  • Flathead catfish: See Catfish.
  • Crappies: See Panfish.
  • Channel catfish: See Catfish.
  • Walleye: See Walleye, Sauger, and Hybrids.
  • Urban waters gamefish: This waterbody is not considered an urban water, Urban Waters Gamefish regulations do not apply.
  • Round goby: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
  • Rough fish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
  • Rock, Yellow, and White Bass: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
  • Paddlefish: Closed. No fishing allowed.
  • Smallmouth bass: See Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.
  • Largemouth bass: See Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.
  • Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 5
  • Northern pike: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 5
  • Muskellunge and hybrids: May 24, 2025 to December 31, 2025: The minimum length limit is 40” and the daily bag limit is 1
  • Catfish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10
  • Bullheads: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
  • Walleye, Saugers, and Hybrids: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: The minimum length limit is 18” and the daily bag limit is 3
  • Panfish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25
  • Bluegill: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 10
  • White perch: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
  • Cisco and whitefish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10
  • Bowfin: See Rough Fish.

Features

Sawyer County’s Chetac and Birch Lakes offer anglers a wide variety of fishing opportunities. With numerous lodges along the shoreline of Chetac, this lake is a great destination for people seeking a fishing retreat. Anglers looking for a nice, quiet lake to fish should be aware of the heavy fishing pressure that this lake receives. Motor trolling on Chetac Lake is both legal and popular for walleye and northern pike. A number of bass tournaments are held on the lake during summer. Fishing pressure aside, anglers looking for a trophy sized northern or stringer of large bluegill should give this lake a try.

Forage

In Chetac Lake there is a huge juvenile yellow perch population that provides a large forage base for a wide variety of fish. Golden Shiners, White Sucker and Brook Silversides (a rarity in Wisconsin waters) make up much of the forage base. Crayfish, mayflies and midges also provide supplemental forage.

Seasonal Movements

Walleye will make spawning runs into the spring tributary creeks each year. During the middle of summer northern pike will move around the lake to find colder water.
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Fish Species

Bluegill
fish
2-10 in
Length Range
7 in
Length Range
2017
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2017
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2017
Apr
2017
Jun
Trophy Potential
This lake has a history of supporting trophy sized bluegill based on past surveys.
Survey YearLargest Fish (in)
20179
Brook trout
fish
8-9 in
Length Range
9 in
Length Range
2017
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2017
Surveyed
NA
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2017
Apr
Crappie
fish
2-10 in
Length Range
7 in
Length Range
2017
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2017
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2017
Apr
2017
Jun
Largemouth bass
fish
9-23 in
Length Range
15 in
Length Range
2020
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2020
Surveyed
Electro
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2019
Sep
2020
Sep
Northern pike
fish
2-10 in
Length Range
7 in
Length Range
2017
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2017
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2017
Apr
2017
Jun
Perch
fish
2-10 in
Length Range
7 in
Length Range
2017
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2017
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2017
Apr
2017
Jun
Pumpkinseed
fish
2-10 in
Length Range
7 in
Length Range
2017
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2017
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2017
Apr
2017
Jun
Rock bass
fish
2-10 in
Length Range
7 in
Length Range
2017
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2017
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2009
May
2014
Aug
2017
Jun
Smallmouth bass
fish
9-23 in
Length Range
15 in
Length Range
2020
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2020
Surveyed
Electro
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2019
Sep
2020
Sep
Striped Bass
fish
No survey data
Abundance (CPUE)
No abundance data
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
No Survey Data
Walleye
fish
9-23 in
Length Range
15 in
Length Range
2020
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2020
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2019
Sep
2020
Sep
Trophy Potential
This lake has a history of supporting trophy sized walleye based on past surveys.
Survey YearLargest Fish (in)
201728
White bass
fish
No survey data
Abundance (CPUE)
No abundance data
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
No Survey Data