Fishing McCullough Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  McCullough Lake is one of the Vilas County listings for Wisconsin. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. Around 221 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Size puts it in the front rank of our Vilas County list. The nearest town is Lac du Flambeau, 22 miles away. After that come Eagle River at 25 miles and Wakefield at 26 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on McCullough 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. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Vilas County, recorded fish include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On McCullough Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 9°F on the long-run figures. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. McCullough Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Morton Lake is 0.8 miles distant. Check the position at McCullough Lake before loading the car.