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

• Overview

  Wisconsin holds Etna Lake, in Vilas County. The surface lies 1,650 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 16 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Vilas County are larger. Wakefield at 12 miles is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Thunder Bay is 147 miles off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Etna Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Vilas County records list bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. Etna Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 10°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Etna Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Launch at Chaney Lake Boat Launch, half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Dumbell Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Etna Lake in what we hold.