Little Round Lake in Sawyer County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little Round Lake lies within the bounds of Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. Around 183 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Some 2.9 miles away sits Little Round Lake, the nearest settlement. Hayward lies 8.3 miles off, Spooner another 30 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Little Round Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Sawyer County include walleye, brown trout, largemouth bass and muskellunge. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Little Round Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 9°F at the bottom of winter. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Little Round Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Osprey Lake, 0.9 miles out. Check the position on Little Round Lake before loading the car.