McArthur Lake in Iron County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  McArthur Lake is one of the Iron County listings for Wisconsin. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. It runs to roughly 38 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. You are 10 miles from Lac du Flambeau. Park Falls lies 17 miles off, Phillips another 21 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on McArthur Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Iron County, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, muskellunge and rainbow trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of McArthur Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 66°F; the cold one sits at 9°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. McArthur Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Deer Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. For McArthur Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.