Lake Alva near Eagle River: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Lake Alva in Vilas County, Wisconsin. The water sits 1,690 feet up. At roughly 23 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It sits higher than most water we list in Wisconsin. Eagle River sits 17 miles from the bank. Green Bay sits 130 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lake Alva

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Vilas County cover bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Lake Alva repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in July and bottom out at 9°F in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Lake Alva runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Partridge Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. For Lake Alva, the notice at the access point is the final word.