Fishing at Lake Owen, Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Bayfield County, Wisconsin, is where Lake Owen sits. The water sits 1,345 feet up. The water covers around 1,251 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The bank runs about 21 miles in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. It ranks high for size among our Bayfield County listings. Hayward is the closest place, 22 miles off. Then Little Round Lake, 23 miles, and Ashland, 27 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Owen

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Survey and observation records for Bayfield County include rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch, rainbow trout and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lake Owen the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 8°F in January up to 66°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Lake Owen.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This falls in or next to protected ground, so rules will be tighter than usual. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Crane Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Lake Owen is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.