Fishing Little Papoose Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Little Papoose Lake is one of the Vilas County waters in Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 1,624 feet. With some 45 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.3 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. 15 miles away sits Lac du Flambeau, the nearest town. Wakefield is 21 miles and Bessemer 23 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Little Papoose Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Vilas County list bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. On Little Papoose Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 65°F and January near 10°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Papoose Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Noseeum Lake is 0.3 miles distant. Confirm access to Little Papoose Lake locally before you travel.