Marengo Lake in Bayfield County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Marengo Lake falls in Bayfield County, part of Wisconsin. The country here is rolling bush. Roughly 95 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 2.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. On our Bayfield County list it sits near the top for size. Ashland lies 18 miles from the water. After that come Washburn at 24 miles and Little Round Lake at 32 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Marengo Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Bayfield County list rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch, rainbow trout and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Marengo Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 67°F, with January the cold end at about 10°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Marengo Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Indian Lake is 1.6 miles distant. For Marengo Lake in particular, ask before you travel.