Broken Bow Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Vilas County, Wisconsin, is where Broken Bow Lake sits. The surface lies 1,591 feet up. At about 133 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. At about 4.5 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. For supplies, Lac du Flambeau is 4.6 miles out. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 135 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Broken Bow Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Broken Bow Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 66°F, the coldest about 9°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Anyone fishing Broken Bow Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Tank Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Broken Bow Lake in what we hold.