Fishing Muskie Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  You will find Muskie Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. It lies 1,575 feet above sea level. Roughly 41 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 1.2 miles of margin, front to back. Some 13 miles away sits Rhinelander, the nearest settlement. Then Tomahawk, 19 miles, and Lac du Flambeau, 20 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Muskie Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Oneida County records list brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Muskie Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Muskie Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Ruth Lake, 0.4 miles out. Signs at Muskie Lake carry more weight than any list.