Fishing at Middle Kimball Lake, Washburn County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Middle Kimball Lake is a Washburn County water, Wisconsin side. The land about it is mixed forest. The water covers some 96 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. For supplies, Spooner is 21 miles out. Further out sit Hayward (24 miles) and Shell Lake (27 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off. It repays a second visit more than a first.

• Where to Fish on Middle Kimball Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Washburn County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Middle Kimball Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 9°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That shapes the year on Middle Kimball Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. A toilet block sits half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Upper Kimball Lake is 0.5 miles off. None of that is settled for Middle Kimball Lake in what we hold.