Cedar Lake in Vilas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Cedar Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. It lies 1,611 feet above sea level. Roughly 197 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The whole outline is near 2.7 miles, and most of it is walkable. You are 17 miles from Lac du Flambeau. Wakefield is 18 miles away, with Bessemer at 19 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Cedar Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Cedar Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 65°F and January near 10°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Cedar Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, North Bass Lake is 1 mile off. For Cedar Lake in particular, ask before you travel.