Basswood Lake near Amery: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Out in Polk County, Wisconsin, sits Basswood Lake. It sits in lake country bush. With some 28 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Nearest place of any size is Amery, 6.5 miles away. Saint Croix Falls lies 8.8 miles off, Taylors Falls another 9.2 miles. Others worth noting: Pine Lake 0.5 miles off, Ox Lake just 1.4 miles, Joe Lake 1.7 miles off, Badger Lake just 1.8 miles and Mud Lake 2.1 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Basswood Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Basswood Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 70°F and January reads 10°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Basswood Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Part of this sits inside or beside Balsam Branch Wildlife Area, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Pine Lake at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Basswood Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.