Fishing at Bear Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Look for Bear Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The bank gives way to pine and birch. At about 73 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 1.9 miles on foot. It sits higher than most water we list in Wisconsin. You are 17 miles from Lac du Flambeau. For a city, Green Bay is 140 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Anyone new to Bear Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 9°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Bear Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Boats are marked private in public data; check who controls the water. This sits inside Dairymen's Inc, so read the reserve notices first. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Wolf Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Bear Lake for certain.