Island Lake Fishing in Washburn County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Island Lake lies in Washburn County, in Wisconsin. The setting is mixed forest. The water covers around 273 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Bank access stretches around 2.9 miles in total. It ranks high for size among our Washburn County listings. You are 9.8 miles from Spooner. It is 89 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Island Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Washburn County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, bluegill and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Island Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 9°F in January up to 69°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Island Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Mud Lake is 0.7 miles off. What applies at Island Lake may have changed since it was mapped.