Fishing Enterprise Lake in Langlade County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Enterprise Lake is one of the Langlade County waters in Wisconsin. This is mixed forest country. This is sizeable water at about 509 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. You are looking at roughly 5.3 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It ranks high for size among our Langlade County listings. The town to know is Nashville, 11 miles out. After that come Rhinelander at 15 miles and Crandon at 18 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Enterprise Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Langlade County, recorded fish include brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Enterprise Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Enterprise Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. 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. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try East Apple Lake, 0.8 miles away. Where Enterprise Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.