Fishing at Bell Lake, Florence County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Florence County, Wisconsin, this is Bell Lake. Elevation runs to 1,381 feet. It covers about 12 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Florence County list. The closest town, Crystal Falls, is 11 miles distant. After that come Stambaugh, Iron River at 13 miles and Iron River at 14 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Bell Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Florence County names brown trout, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The near bank of Bell Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 10°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing Bell Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Edith Lake, 0.6 miles out. Treat Bell Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.