Fishing at Hicks Lake, Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Hicks Lake is one of the Bayfield County waters in Wisconsin. The country here is mixed forest. At 7 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Bayfield County list holds plenty of bigger water. For a base, Lake Nebagamon sits 17 miles out. Ashland is 22 miles and Washburn 22 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Hicks Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Bayfield County include rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch, rainbow trout and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Hicks Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 9°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Hicks Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Angus Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Hicks Lake if anything is unclear.