McGinnis Lake in Lincoln County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Lincoln County end of Wisconsin holds McGinnis Lake. This is rolling bush country. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Lincoln County standards. Head to Tomahawk, 14 miles away, for anything you forgot. Green Bay sits 93 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on McGinnis Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Lincoln County cover brown trout, rainbow trout, pumpkinseed and walleye. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of McGinnis Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 66°F and January near 10°F on the long-run figures. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on McGinnis Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Camp Lake, 1.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For McGinnis Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.