Buck Lake in Oneida County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Buck Lake lies in Oneida County, in Wisconsin. It sits at 1,585 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Oneida County are larger. Rhinelander sits 12 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Tomahawk is 19 miles away, with Lac du Flambeau at 21 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Buck Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Oneida County list brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Buck Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 10°F on the long-run figures. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. 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 open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Buck Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Whitey Lake sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Buck Lake as something to verify.