Fishing at North Bass Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Vilas County, Wisconsin, is where North Bass Lake sits. The land about it is pine and birch. Roughly 196 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The whole outline is near 2.2 miles, and most of it is walkable. 16 miles away sits Lac du Flambeau, the nearest town. Wakefield lies 19 miles off, Bessemer another 20 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on North Bass Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On North Bass Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on North Bass Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Cedar Lake, 1 mile away. Where North Bass Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.