Bad River Slough Fishing in Ashland County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Ashland County, Wisconsin, this is Bad River Slough. What surrounds it is mixed forest. At 270 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. With about 2.8 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It ranks high for size among our Ashland County listings. Ashland sits 12 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Further out sit Washburn (12 miles) and Hurley (25 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Bad River Slough

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Ashland County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, yellow perch, white sucker and johnny darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Bad River Slough before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 13°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At Bad River Slough the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Honest John Lake, 0.9 miles out. Where Bad River Slough is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.