Big Horseshoe Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Big Horseshoe Lake lies in Polk County, Wisconsin. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Polk County list. Amery lies 6.8 miles from the water. Saint Paul is the closest city, 39 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Big Horseshoe Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Polk County list brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Big Horseshoe Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 10°F in January and 70°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Big Horseshoe Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Horseshoe Lake is 0.6 miles off. Confirm access to Big Horseshoe Lake locally before you travel.