Fishing at Emerald Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Vilas County, Wisconsin, this is Emerald Lake. It sits at 1,640 feet above sea level. At about 28 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is high ground by Wisconsin standards. Nearest place of any size is Lac du Flambeau, 12 miles away. The big place round here is Green Bay, 129 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Emerald Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Emerald Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 9°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Emerald Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Little John Junior Lake is 0.7 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Emerald Lake for certain.