Bass Lake in Forest County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bass Lake is a Forest County water, Wisconsin side. Land around it is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 100 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It ranks high for size among our Forest County listings. 7 miles away sits Iron River, the nearest town. For a city, Green Bay is 112 miles off. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Bass Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Forest County cover brown trout, largemouth bass and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Bass Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 10°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Bass Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. Overnight stays are possible about 0.9 miles out, where camping is mapped. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Little Hagerman Lake, 0.7 miles away. Nothing on Bass Lake should be assumed from this page alone.