Cook Lake Fishing near Rhinelander, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Oneida County, Wisconsin, is where Cook Lake sits. It lies 1,568 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 22 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Some 5.2 miles away sits Rhinelander, the nearest settlement. Tomahawk is 14 miles and Nashville 23 miles. Water in the same corner: Lily Lake (0.5 miles), Emma Lake at 0.9 miles, Loon Lake (1.2 miles), Hat Rapids Flowage at 1.4 miles and Alice Lake (1.6 miles). A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Cook Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Oneida County include brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Cook Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 10°F to 66°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It holds true on Cook Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Lily Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Cook Lake is worth confirming on the day.