Bear Pond Fishing in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Bear Pond lies in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 1,280 feet. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. You are 20 miles from Lake Nebagamon. For a city, Saint Paul is 133 miles off. Others worth noting: Anderson Lake within 0.6 miles, Rainbow Lake roughly 0.6 miles, Lee Lake within 1.1 miles, Bufo Lake roughly 1.1 miles and Tower Lake within 1.3 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Bear Pond

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Bayfield County cover rainbow smelt, brown trout and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Bear Pond light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 66°F and January about 9°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Bear Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Rainbow Lake Wilderness takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Anderson Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Bear Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.