Fishing Johnson Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Johnson Lake stands in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 1,286 feet. At about 61 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest town is Little Round Lake, 4.7 miles off. After that come Hayward at 7.5 miles and Spooner at 23 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Johnson Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Sawyer County records list walleye, brown trout, largemouth bass and muskellunge among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Take Johnson Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 9°F in January up to 68°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan any trip to Johnson Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Lac Courte Oreilles is 1.2 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Johnson Lake.