Big Crooked Lake Fishing in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Big Crooked Lake is a Vilas County water, Wisconsin side. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. At 397 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter runs near 6.5 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Size puts it in the front rank of our Vilas County list. Lac du Flambeau is the closest place, 4.7 miles off. It is 137 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Big Crooked Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Big Crooked Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 9°F to 66°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Big Crooked Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. 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. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Sunfish Lake is 0.6 miles off. Signs at Big Crooked Lake carry more weight than any list.