Fishing at Bailey Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Bailey Lake is set in Oneida County, Wisconsin. It stands 1,670 feet above sea level. It measures about 84 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Roughly 1.3 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is high ground by Wisconsin standards. Eagle River at 12 miles is the nearest place to stop. The big place round here is Green Bay, 103 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bailey Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Oneida County names brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Bailey Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 10°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Bailey Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Wolf Lake, 0.9 miles out. None of that is settled for Bailey Lake in what we hold.