Downy Lake near Wakefield: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Downy Lake lies in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The water sits 1,673 feet up. At 2 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Vilas County standards. The closest town, Wakefield, is 20 miles distant. The big place round here is Green Bay, 144 miles distant. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Downy Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Vilas County: bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Downy Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 65°F for July and 10°F for January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Downy Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Boats go in at Little Oxbow Lake Boat Launch, roughly half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Flicker Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Downy Lake are worth checking on the day.