Fishing Clear Lake in Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Clear Lake falls inside Iron County. It lies 1,598 feet above sea level. Around 65 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Start from Ironwood, 16 miles down the road. Further out sit Hurley (16 miles) and Wakefield (16 miles). Others close at hand: 1.2 miles away is Long Lake, Little Oxbow Lake 2 miles away, 2 miles away is American Lake, Oxbow Lake 2.4 miles away and 2.4 miles away is Spider Lake. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Iron County list walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, muskellunge and rainbow trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Clear Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 10°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Expect Clear Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Long Lake is 1.2 miles off. Rules at Clear Lake are worth checking on the day.