Devine Lake in Vilas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Devine Lake sits within Vilas County in Wisconsin. The setting is pine and birch. At about 74 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.7 miles on foot. Lac du Flambeau sits 7.3 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Green Bay, 131 miles distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Devine Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Vilas County list bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Devine Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 9°F to 65°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Devine Lake rarely departs from it.

• 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. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Punch Lake is 1.1 miles off. Ask locally about Devine Lake if anything is unclear.