Des Moines Lake in Burnett County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Des Moines Lake is a Burnett County water, in Wisconsin. Everything around it is pine and birch. Roughly 215 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 2.7 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Few waters listed in Burnett County are bigger. Spooner lies 17 miles from the water. Shell Lake follows at 20 miles, then Frederic at 28 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Des Moines Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Burnett County, recorded fish include brown trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Des Moines Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 69°F and January at 9°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Des Moines Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Long Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Des Moines Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.