Havener Lake Fishing near Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Havener Lake lies within the bounds of Vilas County, Wisconsin. It stands 1,581 feet above sea level. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Vilas County list holds plenty of bigger water. Some 5.4 miles away sits Lac du Flambeau, the nearest settlement. Beyond it, Park Falls at 27 miles and Rhinelander at 28 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Havener Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Havener Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 66°F, the coldest about 9°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Havener Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is a slipway on the shore, 0.9 miles from the water we list. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Patterson Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Havener Lake are worth checking on the day.