Fishing Big Arbor Vitae Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Within Vilas County, Wisconsin, you have Big Arbor Vitae Lake. The ground around here is pine and birch. At some 1,071 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Shoreline length is close to 7.2 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Vilas County are bigger. Head to Lac du Flambeau, 12 miles away, for anything you forgot. Eagle River lies 20 miles off, Rhinelander another 23 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Big Arbor Vitae Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Vilas County cover bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. The county list is broader than any single water. At Big Arbor Vitae Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 9°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Big Arbor Vitae Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Mielke Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Big Arbor Vitae Lake before loading the car.