Urban-area muskie hunters don't have to go far for great Esox fishing. As a matter of fact, some of Wisconsin's best muskie waters are within a short drive of our most populated metro areas.

Muskies are hard to catch, and they survive the urban sprawl quite well. Anglers can spend years learning how to consistently catch these predators. Just because a lake is heavily pressured by anglers doesn't mean there aren't plenty of muskies around. As a matter of fact, waters like the Madison Chain stack up very well against the more famous muskie lakes that are hours away to the north.

Here's a look at waters where city dwellers have an excellent shot at a muskie just an hour or two from home.

MADISON CHAIN
"There are lakes in the urban Madison area where anglers have excellent chances for muskies," said Kurt Welke, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries manager for Dane County. "Four of the lakes are interconnected on the Yahara River. Mendota covers 9,287 acres, Monona 3,274 acres, Waubesa 2,080 acres and Kegonsa 3,209 acres. Lake Wingra, at 345 acres, is separate, but there are muskies in there, too."

Lake Mendota lies at the head of the chain and is relatively clear. Lake Monona is the next in line downstream and has more fertile water, and so on through Waubesa and Kegonsa. The last lake in the chain has such a high level of fertility that in the summer it has a distinctive green color, as like in a putting green.

"Lake Monona has a verified reputation for being able to produce large heavy-bodied muskies in the 40- to 50-inch range and larger," Welke said. "A 30-pound fish in Monona is not unheard of. Based on DNR surveys, the density rate is one muskie for every two acres of surface water, and the lake is known by local anglers as being the place to go for a trophy muskie."

Monona muskie hunters favor the areas outside Olin Park and Turville Point. A ramp is available off Lakeside Road in the park. The combination of deep water, weedlines and available forage are a tempting haunt for big muskies. Another popular spot is Squaw Bay on the southeast side. The nearest ramp is off Tonyawatha Trail north of Tecumseh Park.

"Lake Wingra is at the other end of the spectrum," Welke continued. "It's known for numbers and has a density of about one muskie per acre. That's at the high, extreme end of muskie population densities in Wisconsin lakes. As a result, Wingra muskies are skinny. Their forage is limited due to the lake's size."

Wingra has a diversity of depth and structure in spite of its smaller size. There are springs on the south end, and most muskie anglers troll around the outside edge of the weedline that rings the lake. There is a little pocket of deeper water on the south end with a more distinct weedline that holds summer muskies.

"Lake Wingra is where you want to go when you want to catch muskies, even if they're smaller," Welke continued. "Monona is where you want to go for the sizes."

The railroad trestle at the north edge of Waubesa concentrates baitfish and brings in the muskies. Serious muskie hunters spend a lot of time in this area, as well as on the north and west sections of the lake.