Fishing at Maple Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Maple Lake is set in Oneida County, Wisconsin. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. At about 135 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Roughly 1.9 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Wisconsin listings. Supplies mean a trip to Eagle River, 8.8 miles off. Then Rhinelander, 17 miles, and Crandon, 20 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Maple Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Oneida County include brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Treat Maple Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and January reads 10°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Maple Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Townline Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Maple Lake may have changed since it was mapped.