Fishing at Hunter Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Hunter Lake stands in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The setting is lake country bush. It runs to roughly 174 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 2.9 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It sits higher than most water we list in Wisconsin. Eagle River sits 7 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Green Bay, 121 miles distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Hunter Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Vilas County names bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Hunter Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 9°F in January and 65°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Hunter Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Pollack Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Hunter Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.