Fishing at Little Pine Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Vilas County, Wisconsin, is where Little Pine Lake sits. The water sits 1,631 feet up. Surface area runs to about 18 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Vilas County. The nearest place of any size is Eagle River, 2.7 miles away. Rhinelander is 23 miles away, with Lac du Flambeau at 31 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Little Pine Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Little Pine Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 9°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Little Pine Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Scat Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Little Pine Lake before loading the car.