Bass Lake Fishing in Lincoln County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Bass Lake is a Lincoln County water, in Wisconsin. The ground around here is mixed forest. Roughly 75 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 1.8 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Compared with other Wisconsin water on our list, it sits high. The town to know is Tomahawk, 12 miles out. After that come Rhinelander at 15 miles and Merrill at 20 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Bass Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Lincoln County: brown trout, rainbow trout and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Bass Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 10°F on the long-run figures. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Bass Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Pickerel Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Bass Lake before loading the car.