Big Pine Lake Fishing Guide, Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Big Pine Lake is an Iron County water, Wisconsin side. The land about it is rolling bush. Surface area runs to roughly 642 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The margin runs to about 5.4 miles in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Iron County list. Start from Lac du Flambeau, 8.3 miles down the road. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 142 miles away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Big Pine Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Iron County include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, muskellunge and rainbow trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Treat Big Pine Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 9°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Big Pine Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It is an impounded water, so levels are managed and can shift through the year. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. 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. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Townline Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Big Pine Lake before loading the car.