Fishing at Badwater Lake, Florence County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Within Florence County, Wisconsin, you have Badwater Lake. The surroundings are pine and birch. The nearest town is Iron Mountain, 4.5 miles away. The big place round here is Green Bay, 94 miles distant. More in the same country: Little Badwater Lake the better part of 0.5 miles, Dyer Lake just 0.9 miles, Sonnies Pond the better part of 1 mile, East Lake just 1.7 miles and Spring Lake the better part of 1.7 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Badwater Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Florence County: brown trout, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Badwater Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 11°F and July at about 67°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Badwater Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Little Badwater Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Badwater Lake in what we hold.