Big Stone Lake Fishing near Eagle River, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Oneida County end of Wisconsin holds Big Stone Lake. The bank is 1,617 feet above sea level. Roughly 698 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. It is among the larger waters listed here for Oneida County. 11 miles away sits Eagle River, the nearest town. Crandon follows at 19 miles, then Rhinelander at 19 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Big Stone Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Oneida County include brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Big Stone Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 66°F in July and bottoms out near 10°F in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Big Stone Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Laurel Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Big Stone Lake in what we hold.