McGrath Lake Fishing near Rhinelander, Wisconsin

• Overview

  McGrath Lake is set in Oneida County, Wisconsin. It stands 1,581 feet above sea level. It measures about 51 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Rhinelander sits 15 miles from the bank. Lac du Flambeau is 17 miles and Eagle River 21 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it. The bank is open in stretches and thick in others.

• Where to Fish on McGrath Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The near bank of McGrath Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 9°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On McGrath Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Little Tomahawk Lake is 0.5 miles off. What applies at McGrath Lake may have changed since it was mapped.