Jim Lake Fishing in Polk County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Jim Lake is one of the Polk County waters in Wisconsin. The setting is mixed forest on every side. Roughly 29 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Head to Amery, 3.9 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 47 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Jim Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Polk County, recorded fish include brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Jim Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 10°F to 70°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Expect Jim Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Gorres Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Jim Lake should be assumed from this page alone.