Jackknife Lake in Lincoln County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Jackknife Lake belongs to Lincoln County. The land about it is pine and birch. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Lincoln County. Tomahawk lies 11 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 97 miles away. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Jackknife Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name brown trout, rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, walleye and bluegill. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat Jackknife Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 10°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Jackknife Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Roothouse Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. For Jackknife Lake in particular, ask before you travel.