Fishing Smoky Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Look for Smoky Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. It stands 1,693 feet above sea level. It measures some 593 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The shoreline runs about 5.9 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Few waters listed in Vilas County are bigger. Nearest place of any size is Iron River, 14 miles away. Green Bay is the closest city, 118 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Smoky Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Vilas County, recorded fish include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Smoky Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 9°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Expect Smoky Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Porcupine Lake, 0.6 miles away. Ask locally about Smoky Lake if anything is unclear.