Atkins Lake Fishing in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  You will find Atkins Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. This is rolling bush ground. It runs to roughly 169 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 2.1 miles keeps the choices simple. It is among the larger waters listed here for Bayfield County. Ashland is the closest place, 23 miles off. Little Round Lake follows at 27 miles, then Washburn at 28 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Atkins Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Bayfield County cover rainbow smelt, brown trout and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Atkins Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 66°F on average, January about 9°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Atkins Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. A picnic spot sits half a mile from the bank. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Bass Lake at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Atkins Lake.