Hegmeister Lake near Phillips: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Hegmeister Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,358 feet up. The water covers some 53 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 1.2 miles of margin, front to back. The closest town, Phillips, is 21 miles away. It is 122 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Hegmeister Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name walleye, brown trout, largemouth bass and muskellunge. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Hegmeister Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Hegmeister Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Connors Lake, 5.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Hegmeister Lake is worth confirming on the day.