Kelly Lake Fishing Guide, Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Kelly Lake sits in Iron County, out in Wisconsin. The country here is lake country bush. With some 32 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.2 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. You are 14 miles from Lac du Flambeau. The big place round here is Green Bay, 148 miles distant. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Kelly Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Iron County, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch and muskellunge. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Kelly Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 10°F to 65°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Kelly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Woodson Lake is 0.6 miles off. Check the position on Kelly Lake before loading the car.