Fishing at Moose Lake, Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  This water sits in Iron County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,657 feet up. At 249 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. With 3.5 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Iron County list. Hurley sits 15 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 155 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Moose Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Iron County, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, muskellunge and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Moose Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 10°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Moose Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Little Moose Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Moose Lake is worth confirming on the day.