Fishing at Kenu Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  This water sits in Vilas County, Wisconsin. It lies 1,709 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 68 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The whole outline is near 1.3 miles, and most of it is walkable. It sits higher than most water we list in Wisconsin. Some 16 miles away sits Eagle River, the nearest settlement. Then Lac du Flambeau, 30 miles, and Iron River, 32 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Kenu Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Vilas County: bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Kenu Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 9°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. At Kenu Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Ethel Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Kenu Lake if anything is unclear.