Fishing at Ess Lake, Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Look for Ess Lake in the Iron County part of Wisconsin. The setting is lake country bush on every side. At about 53 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 1.9 miles on foot. Lac du Flambeau sits 12 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Beyond it, Park Falls at 16 miles and Phillips at 26 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Ess Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name walleye, northern pike and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Ess Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 66°F and January about 10°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan around that when you fish Ess Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Keough Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Ess Lake before loading the car.