Fishing at Ginty Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Look for Ginty Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. It sits at 1,611 feet above sea level. With some 138 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 2.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Rhinelander sits 12 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Nashville follows at 12 miles, then Crandon at 15 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Ginty Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Oneida County list brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Take Ginty Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 66°F and January near 10°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Ginty Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Starks Spring sits 1.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Ginty Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.