Island Lake Fishing near Little Round Lake, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Sawyer County end of Wisconsin holds Island Lake. The water sits 1,348 feet up. It runs to roughly 68 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. About 1.2 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Little Round Lake lies 21 miles from the water. Park Falls follows at 25 miles, then Hayward at 27 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Island Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name walleye, brown trout, largemouth bass, muskellunge and northern pike. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Island Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 67°F and January near 9°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Island Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Perch Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Check the position on Island Lake before loading the car.