On Lake Monona, the high-percentage spot -- at least around opening weekend -- is often close to the warmwater discharge off John Nolan Drive. This is especially true if water temperatures are still cold come opening day.

Lake Mendota has the best potential for giving up a 50-inch muskie, but there are plenty of bars, humps and structures to hide a fish of these dimensions in its 10,000 acres of water.

Where should you fish on the Madison Chain on opening weekend? The common thread that is the Yahara River is a key. And here’s a cryptic hint: Fish beyond the chain.

Contact: Ron Barefield’s Fishing Adventures Guide Service, (608) 838-8756.

BIG & LITTLE GREEN LAKES
These Green Lake County fisheries receive relatively low species-specific muskie pressure, but there is even more boat traffic here than on the Madison Chain once tourist season arrives.

Little Green is 466 acres, and it has both tiger and pure muskies. It warms much quicker and is easier to fish than Big Green, where most folks don’t have enough line on their reels to reach bottom in the lake’s nether reaches. The key to hooking up in May on Little Green lies in targeting transition zones where the lake breaks from about 13 feet into much shallower water. By June, these fish will lurk much deeper.

At first glance, Big Green is vast and daunting. But if you just target water less than 15 feet deep, virtually the entire lake is fishable in a long day. Come summer, though, Big Green is a tough lake to pattern. Trophy muskies swim here, and they no doubt relate to the rich cisco forage base cruising the depths. If you can find a big cluster of ciscoes on your electronics, drop a huge white jig in the general vicinity. You may catch a muskie or a lake trout.

Contact: Green Lake Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-253-7354.

OTHER WATERS
Those aren’t the only muskie waters in southern Wisconsin.

Aesthetics in Yellowstone Lake State Park are found by looking at the hills surrounding this 400-acre muddy lake. There are many muskies swimming here, but you won’t see ‘em coming. Toss lures that will tickle these toothers along their lateral line.

Then there’s Park and Swan lakes over by Pardeeville. Local anglers will tell you the muskie fishing is better in nearby Lake Puckaway. Don’t believe them.

Delavan Lake in Walworth County may be the best place in southern Wisconsin to tangle with a muskie while trying real hard to catch other species. Rig up for bass or walleyes, but have a really big net in the boat.

Boating that first muskie is a rite of passage for Wisconsin anglers. Being with a young “hook” when he or she realizes this benchmark is priceless. Waubesa, Silver Lake in Kenosha County and Twin Valley Lake in Gov. Dodge State Park north of Dodgeville are three waters where you can move from hero to legend status in the eyes of a young muskie angler. Take a kid fishing this year!

Find more about Wisconsin fishing and hunting at: WisconsinSportsmanMag.com