Ice fishing stocked trout lakes?

I have been on a mission to catch some trout thru the ice at various stocked lakes throughout the state. Mainly looking at waushara county but also some smaller stocked ponds closer to me in Sheboygan/Ozaukee county.  I am used to catching lakers out of big green but I haven’t been able to get anything going on stocked rainbow and browns.  Anyone have any pointers on baits, depths etc… I have tried deep basins and shallower weed lines.  I’ve watched YouTube vids from mostly ppl fishing in the mountains for trout and I don’t know if that translates to Wisconsin stocked trout.  Let me know what you all think!

Thanks!

28fow.  Actively jigging them until they swim in to bite. I do believe, like was said that they just roam around. Sometimes you see then on the bottom, sometimes right underneath the ice. We were using gold tungsten jig with a wax worms or 2 spikes.

Inland lakes trout season is similar to game fishing season May thru March the next year. The stream trout fishing goes May thru October. Also individual lakes have may have certain other regs.  Some “urban” fishing stocked ponds can fished  year round.

I thought inland season was closed  ??

 Or just stream fishing  ?

We did it!  I was on a stocked quarry lake - I found the trout were roaming around mostly aimlessly between 2 and 15’ under the ice even in 40 fow.  Trying to run and gun was kind of a failing because they are just always moving.  I ended up just staying put and about once every 5-10 minutes a couple would come sniffing around.  Again, very close to the ice even in 40 feet, didn’t pay to even keep an eye on the bottom. They were chasing a lot but then spooked off regularly. Once in a while they would hit but sooooo light.  They hit dead stick and moving targets. I used spoons and gliders as well as a plain tungsten.  The rainbow came on a pink Tikka medium glider.   Pan Fried up that bad boy with the skin on some lemon juice and butter and it was somewhat bland but there is potential to get creative next time.   I only had a couple hours this evening but have confidence to get more.  

I ice fished a small lake in Lincoln county that I didn't know at the time but it was stocked with trout.  We caught a couple of them on jig and waxie fishing for bluegills.  Some others came there and set up tipdowns with crappie minnows right by shore and were getting a lot of them.

Wow fetch um - but I don't think I'll be making it that far up.    I just checked the stocking report and size of that lake and I have been trying similar lakes.  My questions are:

1. What depth are you finding these boogers at?

2. What kind of baits - I have been going at them like Crappie w/ spoon baits as well as just a small tungsten.  I also have a small glider that I have been using. 

3. Are the stocked rainbows chasing a lot and you need to trigger them or do they need the bait to be still?  

I hope you can respond.  Thanks!

If you wanted to venture north, we were in Mercer over Christmas and had a good day on Plunkett.

I too am in the same area as you. I know of a stocked lake that they winter over. I have never ice fished it but have gotten rainbows up to 8lbs. Out of it

Thanks for the info quackshot - the search will continue.  

A friend of ours has a farm near Wautoma and we ocassionally fish for stocked trout in one of the local lakes. Just reckless speculation but here's my thoughts.

I do not believe there is sufficent 'carry over' on these lakes to have a fishable population after ice on. Typically these lake receive 2000 stockers and they get fished down really fast with a 3 fish limit for everybody in the boat taking 3 hours or less early in the season. 

During open water we sharpshoot the fish with a slip bobber setup when located with sidescan or simply troll a small rapala behind a large split shot until we find a group.

As I understand it the stocked trout remain primarily pelagic and simply swim around the lakes fairly high in the water column. My brother lives in CO and fishs for stocked trout every winter and basicly confirms this. These little lakes are basicly a big tank and they just swim clockwise around the basin. 

If the lake has a history of carry over I would start off the weedlines in the main lake basin and run and gun from there. If no suspended fish are on the screen move on. Local bait shop might be a good resource as well. 

Good Luck