Foster Lake in Oneida County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Foster Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. At about 36 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Lac du Flambeau is the closest town at 15 miles. Rhinelander follows at 17 miles, then Eagle River at 23 miles. What else is close: Miller Lake 0.4 miles away, Bird Lake within 0.8 miles, Mud Lake 1.4 miles away, Inkwell Lake within 1.5 miles and Katherine Lake 1.7 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Foster Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Oneida County include brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Foster Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 66°F, the coldest about 9°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Foster Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Miller Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Foster Lake are worth checking on the day.