Big Portage Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Big Portage Lake is one of the Vilas County waters in Wisconsin. It sits at 1,686 feet above sea level. Roughly 587 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. At about 6.0 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. On our Vilas County list it sits near the top for size. For a base, Eagle River sits 15 miles out. For a city, Green Bay is 127 miles off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Portage Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Vilas County cover bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Big Portage Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 9°F to 65°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Big Portage Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Little Portage Lake, 1.4 miles away. Where Big Portage Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.