Lake Three in Ashland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Lake Three belongs to Ashland County. The bank is 1,371 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 61 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Roughly 2.0 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Nearest town is Ashland, 19 miles off. After that come Washburn at 25 miles and Hurley at 33 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Three

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Ashland County include rainbow smelt, yellow perch, white sucker, johnny darter and brown trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Lake Three a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 66°F and January near 9°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lake Three.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Seitz Lake is 1.2 miles off. The position on Lake Three is worth confirming on the day.