Cranberry Lake Fishing near Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Vilas County, Cranberry Lake is a Wisconsin water. What surrounds it is lake country bush. It measures about 66 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Around 1.5 miles of margin, front to back. Lac du Flambeau sits 4.2 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Beyond it, Park Falls at 23 miles and Phillips at 29 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Vilas County list bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Cranberry Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 66°F; by January the average is down near 9°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Cranberry Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Minette Lake, 0.6 miles out. Ask locally about Cranberry Lake if anything is unclear.