Fishing Lake Sixteen in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Bayfield County, Wisconsin, is where Lake Sixteen sits. It sits at 1,411 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Bayfield County list. Ashland is the closest town at 24 miles. Then Little Round Lake, 26 miles, and Hayward, 26 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lake Sixteen

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Bayfield County: rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch, rainbow trout and white sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Lake Sixteen the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 66°F on average, January about 9°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. 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. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Lake Sixteen the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Porcupine Lake Wilderness takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Lake Lizzie, 1.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lake Sixteen are worth checking on the day.