Fishing at Gust Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Oneida County, Wisconsin, this is Gust Lake. The bank gives way to pine and birch. At 16 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Oneida County standards. The nearest town is Rhinelander, 13 miles away. For a city, Green Bay is 100 miles off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Gust Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Oneida County: brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Gust Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 66°F in July and bottoms out near 10°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. 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. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It holds true on Gust Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Spur Lake, 0.5 miles out. For Gust Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.