Wagner Lake in Menominee County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Menominee County, Michigan, sits Wagner Lake. It stands 696 feet above sea level. With some 86 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 2.4 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Size puts it in the front rank of our Menominee County list. Menominee sits 25 miles from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Green Bay is 69 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Wagner Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Menominee County include white sucker, johnny darter, brown trout, yellow perch and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Wagner Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 15°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Wagner Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. 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. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Hoglund Lake, 2.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Wagner Lake before loading the car.