Fishing at Loon Lake, Polk County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  You will find Loon Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. The ground around here is rolling bush. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Polk County list. Head to Luck, 11 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Saint Paul, 57 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Polk County, recorded fish include brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Loon Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 69°F on average, January about 10°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Loon Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Hay Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Loon Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.