Lake Lucerne in Forest County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Forest County, Lake Lucerne is a Wisconsin water. The water sits 1,634 feet up. Surface area runs to roughly 997 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The outline measures near 8.8 miles, so local knowledge counts. Few waters listed in Forest County are bigger. The nearest town is Crandon, 4.2 miles away. Further out sit Nashville (8.6 miles) and Rhinelander (28 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lake Lucerne

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Forest County include brown trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Lake Lucerne the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 10°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Lake Lucerne follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Devils Lake is 1.6 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Lake Lucerne.