Ice House Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ice House Lake is set in Polk County, Wisconsin. Everything around it is lake country bush. About 6 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Polk County standards. The nearest town is Clear Lake, 0.5 miles away. Amery is 5.3 miles away, with Turtle Lake at 11 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Ice House Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Polk County: brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Ice House Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 10°F in January and 70°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on Ice House Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Clear Lake is 0.2 miles off. Treat Ice House Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.