Harriet Lake Fishing Guide, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Oneida County end of Wisconsin holds Harriet Lake. Elevation runs to 1,696 feet. With some 25 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. It sits higher than most water we list in Wisconsin. The town to know is Eagle River, 12 miles out. Then Iron River, 22 miles, and Stambaugh, Iron River, 22 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Harriet Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Oneida County: brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Harriet Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 10°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Harriet Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. The slipway at Butternut south boat landing is half a mile away. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Four Ducks Lake sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Harriet Lake are worth checking on the day.