Manitou Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Manitou Lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. This is rolling bush ground. At 18 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Saint Croix Falls lies 8.5 miles from the water. Then Taylors Falls, 9 miles, and Luck, 9.2 miles. If this one is busy: Knife Lake 0.7 miles, Hoover Lake after 1.2 miles, T Lake 1.2 miles, Bog Lake after 1.3 miles and Rice Lake 1.5 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Manitou Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Polk County names brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. The county list is broader than any single water. Take Manitou Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 70°F and January reads 10°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Manitou Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Knife Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Manitou Lake for certain.