Holmes Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Holmes Lake stands in Washburn County, Wisconsin. The bank gives way to mixed forest. About 13 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. On size it sits at the modest end of our Washburn County list. The closest town, Spooner, is 5 miles away. Shell Lake is 7.6 miles away, with Rice Lake at 20 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Holmes Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Washburn County records list largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike and yellow perch among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Holmes Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 9°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Holmes Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Schullenberger Lake is 0.7 miles off. For Holmes Lake in particular, ask before you travel.