What is the best fishing lake near Appleton?

Pearl Lake in Waushara County is the top-ranked fishing lake near Appleton, with a water quality grade of A (36.8 miles away).

How many lakes are near Appleton for fishing?

30 lakes within driving distance of Appleton match the fishing filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Fishing Near Appleton

Wisconsin

30 fishing lakes within driving distance of Appleton, Wisconsin, ranked by water quality and fishing-specific filters. Filtered for documented fish species (3+) and public access. Ranked by water quality and species diversity.

Appleton sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. Pearl Lake (A) leads the cluster.

The fishing-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the fishing use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.

#	Lake	County	Grade	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Pearl Lake	Waushara	A	36.8 mi	19 ft	45 ft
2	Pine Lake	Waushara	A	36.9 mi	19.3 ft	21 ft
3	Napowan Lake	Waushara	A	37.4 mi	-	18 ft
4	Round Lake	Waupaca	A	37.5 mi	17.5 ft	67 ft
5	Beasley Lake	Waupaca	A	38.2 mi	18.4 ft	47 ft
6	Pope Lake	Waupaca	A	38.8 mi	16 ft	40 ft
7	Brekke Lake	Waupaca	A	42.2 mi	-	25 ft
8	Rinehart Lake	Portage	A	45.7 mi	19 ft	27 ft
9	Witters Lake	Waushara	A	46.8 mi	15.5 ft	17 ft
10	Ebert Lake	Portage	A	47.3 mi	21 ft	30 ft
11	Lake Helen	Portage	A	47.6 mi	-	20 ft
12	Bear Lake	Waupaca	A	28 mi	11 ft	62 ft
13	Pine Lake	Shawano	A	31.9 mi	10.5 ft	35 ft
14	Round Lake	Shawano	A	32.4 mi	11 ft	39 ft
15	Mirror Lake	Waupaca	A	33.6 mi	13 ft	43 ft
16	Shadow Lake	Waupaca	A	33.7 mi	12 ft	41 ft
17	Tuma Lake	Manitowoc	A	33.7 mi	10 ft	36 ft
18	Long Lake	Waushara	A	35 mi	14.5 ft	71 ft
19	Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	A	35.9 mi	10.5 ft	119 ft
20	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	A	36.3 mi	10 ft	58 ft
21	De Neveu Lake	Fond du Lac	A	36.7 mi	11 ft	67 ft
22	Gilbert Lake	Waushara	A	37.5 mi	12 ft	65 ft
23	Kusel Lake	Waushara	A	37.7 mi	11.5 ft	29 ft
24	Columbia Lake	Waupaca	A	37.8 mi	11 ft	72 ft
25	Stratton Lake	Waupaca	A	38 mi	13 ft	42 ft
26	Long Lake	Waupaca	A	38.1 mi	13 ft	76 ft
27	Little Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	A	38.3 mi	10 ft	25 ft
28	Marl Lake	Waupaca	A	38.6 mi	13.6 ft	59 ft
29	Korth Lake	Shawano	A	39.1 mi	12 ft	48 ft
30	Iola Lake	Waupaca	A	39.3 mi	10 ft	-

Other activities near Appleton

Swimming near Appleton →Kayaking near Appleton →Boating near Appleton →All lakes near Appleton →

Where to stay near Appleton

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Appleton — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near Appleton

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip to Appleton?

Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Appleton — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.