Carroll Lake in Bayfield County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, sits Carroll Lake. It sits in pine and birch country. At roughly 14 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Lake Nebagamon is the closest place, 8.6 miles off. Saint Paul is the closest city, 134 miles away. Round about: Lindgren Lake at 0.9 miles, Bass Lake at about 1.1 miles, Camp Eleven Lake at 1.6 miles, Camp Eleven Lake at about 1.7 miles and Russell Lake at 2 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Carroll Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Bayfield County include rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch and rainbow trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Carroll Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 66°F, while January sits near 9°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Anyone fishing Carroll Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Lindgren Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Treat Carroll Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.