Island Lake Fishing in Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Island Lake is an Oneida County water, Wisconsin side. Everything around it is lake country bush. This is sizeable water at about 293 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Oneida County list. Eagle River is the closest place, 8.1 miles off. The big place round here is Green Bay, 106 miles distant. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Island Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Oneida County records list brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Island Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 10°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Island Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Round Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Island Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.