Fishing at Lost Lake, Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Lost Lake sits in Bayfield County, out in Wisconsin. The ground around here is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 26 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Some 15 miles away sits Lake Nebagamon, the nearest settlement. For a city, Saint Paul is 137 miles off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lost Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Bayfield County list rainbow smelt, brown trout and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Lost Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 9°F in January up to 67°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Lost Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Pike Lake, 0.5 miles out. The position on Lost Lake is worth confirming on the day.