Canteen Lake Fishing Guide, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Canteen Lake falls inside Vilas County. What surrounds it is pine and birch. About 23 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Compared with other Wisconsin water on our list, it sits high. Start from Lac du Flambeau, 21 miles down the road. Beyond it, Wakefield at 22 miles and Bessemer at 26 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Canteen Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Canteen Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 65°F and January near 9°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Canteen Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Catherine Wolter Wilderness Area takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Bug Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Signs at Canteen Lake carry more weight than any list.