Hodge Lake Fishing near Bloomer, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Wisconsin holds Hodge Lake, in Rusk County. Height above sea level is 1,112 feet. Surface area is around 38 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Head to Bloomer, 9.9 miles away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Cornell at 13 miles and Chetek at 13 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Hodge Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Rusk County names rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Hodge Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 11°F in January and 69°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Hodge Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Ace-In-The-Hole Lake, 0.3 miles out. Confirm before you fish Hodge Lake.