Fishing at Hillis Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  This water sits in Oneida County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,594 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 11 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Oneida County are larger. The town to know is Lac du Flambeau, 9.7 miles out. Green Bay sits 127 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hillis Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Oneida County include brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The near bank of Hillis Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and January reads 9°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Hillis Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Reserve land runs up to the bank here, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Hungry Lake is 0.3 miles distant. Rules at Hillis Lake are worth checking on the day.