Harris Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Harris Lake is listed under Vilas County, Wisconsin. The setting is rolling bush on every side. The water covers around 534 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. With 5.0 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Vilas County list it sits near the top for size. Some 16 miles away sits Wakefield, the nearest settlement. Green Bay sits 149 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Harris Lake

  Measured depth reaches about 57 feet at the deepest point. 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 and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Harris Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 10°F to 65°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Harris Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Geneveive Lake, 0.8 miles away. Rules at Harris Lake are worth checking on the day.