Little John Junior Lake in Vilas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Vilas County, Wisconsin, is where Little John Junior Lake sits. Everything around it is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 21 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is high ground by Wisconsin standards. The closest town, Lac du Flambeau, is 12 miles away. For a city, Green Bay is 129 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Little John Junior Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Little John Junior Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 66°F, while January sits near 9°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. At Little John Junior Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Little John Lake is 0.7 miles off. Where Little John Junior Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.