Tichigan Lake, Racine County (all postings)

Out today with Nephew Nick. Fishing for crappies usinig small(1 inch) cranks and crappie fuzzy grubs. Caught 20 or so panfish, 10 bass. 5 crappies were nice the rest small. All bass released. fished the man-made, trolled the big lake, very windy with no success. Good luck to all.

What are some good spot to try,catfish and maybe some panfish.Can fish from shore or boat.Thanx.

Fished yesterday 9am-1:30pm. Nothing to brag about only 5 small bass and 2 northern. Water is super clean compared to the past few weeks. Water temp 63°-65°. Did see BIG bass on beds. Will be fishing Saturday hope the bite gets better. Good luck!

I don't think it will affect us much either most of the time. Bars tend to be busy late, we generally tend to be out early. My only concern is drunks walking around my truck & trailer when I do overnight trips.

Thanks a lot for all of the info guys.

I'm thinking street parking at the Marina shouldn't change much, even with the new tavern - it looks to be a decent size parking lot, hopefully it will accommodate all of their customers.

Hilltop was sold last winter. I have no idea how the new owners feel about fishermen. The new owners own the Old Penny Bar on hwy 36 by Wind Lake.

This is an additional comment on the three launches to Tichigan Lake.

The small public launch next to the library opens at 8:00 am each day. However, a few times last year it was open as early as 7:30 am as the 'key holder" got there early. Only 7 or 8 spots, so go ahead of time. Weekends fill quickly.

What Plmlk stated about River City Marina is accurate. However, I only wish there was a private parking lot with some size. There is none. One must park on the street. And even the owner has expressed concern about parking availability when the restaurant opens up next door. Again, parking during the week shouldnt be a problem. It is convenient starting point.

The DNR launch is located north of Tichgan, outside the town of Waterford. The driver crosses an old iron bridge, then turns left to the launch which is on the Fox River next to a canoe rental. Usually, there is a nice launch pier there and plenty of parking. Last few years, there have been buoys in the middle of the channel leading the way to Tichigan marsh and the lake proper. With present high water, there should be no problem going the mile or so to the lake; stay in the middle, go at a slower rate, and look to the east. Once at the mouth, look across to the cottages on the east end. Head in that direction and they will lead you to the lake proper. I have a 14' boat with a 20 HP motor and have never gotten stuck in this channel even through the drought last year. Bigger boat might. If you are looking for an adventure, try this launch out. Again, it gets crowded on weekends and I have had to wait in line when coming in.

THe other two launches are in the city of Waterford. And the ride up the Fox to Tichigan is indeed scenic.

I know of NO shore fishing spots on the lake itself. If you are looking for a shore fishing experience on a lake, I suggest you look into Little Muskego and the fishing park on the north end.

There are three launches on the Fox river to access Tichigan. In Waterford you have two options. The first is the public (free) launch behind the library. Not a bad launch but has limited parking. It also does not open until 7 or 8 in the morning and closes at 10 PM. Good luck on the weekend, it fills up quick.

The second is River City Marina on Milwaukee Avenue. Cost is 10 bucks per launch or 75 for a season pass. This is worth it to me. Plenty of parking and they sell beer, bait, ice, tackle etc. Between fishing and duck hunting I use the launch April through November. Nice folks too.

The third option is the DNR launch, which is upriver on Bridge street, I think it is considered the Town of Waterford, but I'm not sure on that. Decent launch but you have to go through some extremely shallow water and you will likely get stuck unless you have a small tin or Jon Boat or know where your going. There is a channel that goes a bit deeper, but you have to know where it is. If your not familiar with that part of the river I wouldn't chance it.

Lastly, there is no public fishing on Tichigan since Ice Herman's (Dooley's) closed about 5 or 6 years ago. The only public access is the Hilltop Bar. Not sure if they allow people to fish off their dock or not - you'd have to check on that.

Fished today from 6-11am. Water temp 55-58° that's 10-15° colder as of wednesday. I would have liked to stay longer but the wind picked up. Caught 15 bass with the biggest being 4.5lbs. Also caught 6 northern with the biggest 30". All fish CPR. fished in 6-10fow the key for me was to fish SLOW. GOOD LUCK.

Does anybody know where there is public land to fish from shore? I've never fished Tichigan before and don't own a boat. I know there is a pier at the launch but where else is there?

Just click on the Topo map above

Hey guys, I never fished the lake but moved close to the area. Can someone please give me some tips and where the launch is? I am looking for crappies.

I catch White Bass here and there... It is not usually based on time of year. Also, they don't typically frequent the same spots, I usually just stumble across them here or there. Also, many times they are Yellow Bass, not White Bass.

Now down river after the dam, different story, you can just hammer them when they are running.

Is anyone getting any white bass out here yet?