Homestead Lake Fishing Guide, Lincoln County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, this is Homestead Lake. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is high ground by Wisconsin standards. Head to Tomahawk, 13 miles away, for anything you forgot. Green Bay sits 96 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 Homestead Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Lincoln County include brown trout, rainbow trout, pumpkinseed and walleye. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Homestead Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 10°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Homestead Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Little Pike Lake, 0.4 miles away. Signs at Homestead Lake carry more weight than any list.