Mainline Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Florence County entry here is Mainline Lake, in Wisconsin. What surrounds it is rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Florence County are larger. For a base, Stambaugh, Iron River sits 13 miles out. Green Bay sits 103 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Mainline Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Florence County include brown trout, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Mainline Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 65°F for July and 10°F for January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mainline Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lilypad Lake at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Mainline Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.