Burney Lake Fishing in Menominee County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Menominee County entry here is Burney Lake, in Wisconsin. The bank is 1,165 feet above sea level. Around 41 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Shoreline comes to about 1.0 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Antigo sits 15 miles from the bank. Further out sit Wittenberg (16 miles) and Keshena (16 miles). This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Burney Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. 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. Across Menominee County, recorded fish include brown trout, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill and pumpkinseed. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Burney Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 12°F at the bottom of winter. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Burney Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Hemlock Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Burney Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.