Forest Lake Fishing in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Forest Lake belongs to Vilas County. Everything around it is pine and birch. The water covers around 470 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. There is roughly 4.8 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Vilas County list. Head to Eagle River, 17 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 130 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Forest Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Vilas County names bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The shape of Forest Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 9°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Forest Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Merrill Lake, 1.1 miles away. Rules at Forest Lake are worth checking on the day.