Birch Lake Fishing Guide, Langlade County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Wisconsin holds Birch Lake, in Langlade County. Height above sea level is 1,683 feet. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is high ground by Wisconsin standards. Nearest town is Nashville, 15 miles off. Antigo follows at 15 miles, then Rhinelander at 21 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Birch Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Birch Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 10°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Birch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Perch Lake is 0.5 miles off. Treat Birch Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.