John Lake Fishing Guide, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  John Lake is an Oneida County water, in Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 1,588 feet. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Oneida County list. Rhinelander is the closest place, 5.3 miles off. Tomahawk lies 15 miles off, Eagle River another 24 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on John Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Oneida County records list brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of John Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 10°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. John Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. A protected area covers this ground, which usually means restrictions on access. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Spur Lake is 0.4 miles distant. The position on John Lake is worth confirming on the day.