Fishing at Little Pine Lake, Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Little Pine Lake is an Iron County water, in Wisconsin. What surrounds it is lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 18 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Hurley lies 14 miles from the water. After that come Ironwood at 14 miles and Bessemer at 16 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Little Pine Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Iron County include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, muskellunge and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Little Pine Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 10°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Little Pine Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Pine Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Little Pine Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.