Fishing Hillman Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Barron County entry here is Hillman Lake, in Wisconsin. Land around it is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 23 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Barron County standards. Turtle Lake sits 0.9 miles from the bank. Cumberland lies 10 miles off, Clear Lake another 13 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Hillman Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Barron County list brown trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The near bank of Hillman Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 70°F for July and 10°F for January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Hillman Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Elbow Lake, 0.6 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Hillman Lake for certain.