Horseshoe Lake near Little Round Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Horseshoe Lake is one of the Bayfield County listings for Wisconsin. The country here is mixed forest. At roughly 12 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Some 14 miles away sits Little Round Lake, the nearest settlement. Saint Paul sits 123 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Bayfield County list rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch, rainbow trout and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Horseshoe Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 66°F; the cold one sits at 8°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Horseshoe Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Sickles Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Horseshoe Lake are worth checking on the day.