Manitowish Lake Fishing Guide, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Vilas County, Wisconsin, this is Manitowish Lake. The water sits 1,594 feet up. It measures some 496 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Vilas County list. Nearest town is Lac du Flambeau, 9.8 miles off. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 141 miles away. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Manitowish 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. Records held for Vilas County cover bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Manitowish Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 65°F and January about 10°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to Manitowish Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Little Star Lake is 1.1 miles off. Ask locally about Manitowish Lake if anything is unclear.