Fishing at Oak Lake, Washburn County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Oak Lake lies within the bounds of Washburn County, Wisconsin. The water sits 1,260 feet up. With some 29 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Head to Spooner, 6.3 miles away, for anything you forgot. Saint Paul sits 86 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Oak Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Washburn County: largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Take Oak Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 9°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Oak Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Alder Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Oak Lake.