Jerry Lake Fishing in Washburn County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Out in Washburn County, Wisconsin, sits Jerry Lake. Elevation runs to 1,010 feet. With some 76 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 1.3 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Start from Spooner, 7 miles down the road. Beyond it, Shell Lake at 12 miles and Hayward at 24 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Jerry Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Washburn County list largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Jerry Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 69°F, with January the cold end at about 9°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That shapes the year on Jerry Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Tomahawk Lake at 0.8 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Jerry Lake is worth confirming on the day.