Fox Lake near Wakefield: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Vilas County, Wisconsin, this is Fox Lake. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. About 16 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. On size it sits at the modest end of our Vilas County list. Wakefield sits 13 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Bessemer follows at 15 miles, then Ironwood at 17 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Fox Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Vilas County, recorded fish include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Fox Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 10°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Fox Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Lake Franchian at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Fox Lake may have changed since it was mapped.