Bass Lake Fishing Guide, Saint Croix County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Bass Lake is a Saint Croix County water, in Wisconsin. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. At 367 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. You are looking at roughly 7.5 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Few waters listed in Saint Croix County are bigger. The nearest town is Somerset, 4.2 miles away. Saint Paul sits 24 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Bass Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Saint Croix County names brown trout, rainbow trout and common carp. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Bass Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 12°F in January to roughly 71°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Bass Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Western Prairie Habitat Restoration runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. North Bass Lake sits 2.2 miles off and takes the overflow. For Bass Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.