Armour Lake Fishing in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Vilas County, Armour Lake is a Wisconsin water. The water sits 1,637 feet up. At 328 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. Some 4.2 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Vilas County list it sits near the top for size. The nearest place of any size is Lac du Flambeau, 19 miles away. Wakefield follows at 20 miles, then Bessemer at 24 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Armour Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Armour Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 9°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Armour Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Horsehead Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Armour Lake before loading the car.