Maple Lake in Vilas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Vilas County, Wisconsin, is where Maple Lake sits. It stands 1,640 feet above sea level. The water covers some 45 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 2.1 miles on foot. Compared with other Wisconsin water on our list, it sits high. Lac du Flambeau is the closest place, 14 miles off. After that come Wakefield at 25 miles and Eagle River at 28 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Maple Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Vilas County, recorded fish include bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Maple Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 9°F in January up to 65°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Maple Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Rice Lake is 1.5 miles off. For Maple Lake in particular, ask before you travel.