Day Lake Fishing near Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Vilas County end of Wisconsin holds Day Lake. Around the bank it is pine and birch. With some 109 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 2.8 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Lac du Flambeau lies 11 miles from the water. It is 134 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Day Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. 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. Fish documented in Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Anyone new to Day Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 9°F in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Day Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Diamond Lake at 1.4 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Day Lake may have changed since it was mapped.