Long Lake near Medford: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Long Lake in Taylor County, Wisconsin. Land around it is lake country bush. At roughly 6 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Our Taylor County list holds plenty of bigger water. Medford lies 13 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Saint Paul, 124 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Taylor County list brown trout, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, bluegill and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Long Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 10°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. That is the shape of the year on Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Mud Lake is 0.4 miles off. Treat access at Long Lake as something to verify.