Lily Lake near Tomahawk: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  The Oneida County entry here is Lily Lake, in Wisconsin. The bank gives way to rolling bush. Roughly 44 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 1.1 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. You are 5.8 miles from Tomahawk. Then Rhinelander, 13 miles, and Merrill, 24 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Oneida County include brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Lily Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 10°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Lily Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A protected area covers this ground, which usually means restrictions on access. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Mequithy Lake, 1.9 miles away. Ask locally about Lily Lake if anything is unclear.