Fishing Boot Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  You will find Boot Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. What surrounds it is rolling bush. Surface area runs to roughly 287 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. A shoreline of some 3.0 miles keeps the choices simple. On our Vilas County list it sits near the top for size. Some 5.3 miles away sits Eagle River, the nearest settlement. Green Bay is the closest city, 119 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Boot Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Vilas County names bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Boot Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 9°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Boot Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Cooks Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Boot Lake are worth checking on the day.