Mill Pond Lake in Bayfield County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Mill Pond Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. It lies 1,302 feet above sea level. It measures about 57 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 1.4 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest place of any size is Hayward, 24 miles away. Saint Paul sits 130 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mill Pond Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Bayfield County include rainbow smelt, brown trout and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Mill Pond Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 66°F and January at 8°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Mill Pond Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Grass Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Mill Pond Lake is worth confirming on the day.