Fishing at Ridge Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Vilas County, Wisconsin, is where Ridge Lake sits. This is mixed forest country. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Vilas County are larger. The nearest place of any size is Wakefield, 15 miles away. Bessemer is 19 miles and Ironwood 22 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Ridge Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Ridge Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Average temperatures cross freezing around late 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 Ridge Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Eel Lake Boat Launch sits about half a mile away and carries the launch. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Eel Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Ridge Lake may have changed since it was mapped.