Cranberry Lake Fishing Guide, Burnett County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Cranberry Lake lies within the bounds of Burnett County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 932 feet up. It runs to roughly 79 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Nearest town is Grantsburg, 23 miles off. It is 81 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Burnett County cover brown trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Work Cranberry Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 9°F and July at about 69°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Cranberry Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Minerva Lake, 0.5 miles out. Check the position on Cranberry Lake before loading the car.