Ham Lake Fishing in Sawyer County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Ham Lake falls in Sawyer County, part of Wisconsin. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. It runs to roughly 97 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 1.7 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Head to Little Round Lake, 10 miles away, for anything you forgot. Hayward follows at 12 miles, then Spooner at 21 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ham Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Sawyer County include walleye, brown trout and largemouth bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Work Ham Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 68°F for July and 9°F for January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Time your trip to Ham Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lower Holly Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Ham Lake.