Fishing Onland Lake in Portage County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Portage County in Wisconsin is where Onland Lake sits. It sits at 1,102 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 48 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.0 miles, small enough to learn in a day. On our Portage County list it sits near the top for size. 4.8 miles away sits Amherst, the nearest town. After that come Iola at 7.3 miles and Plover at 14 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Onland Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Portage County include brown trout, rainbow trout, common carp, bluegill and northern pike. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Onland Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 69°F; the cold one sits at 13°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about early December in an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Onland Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Rinehart Lake sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Signs at Onland Lake carry more weight than any list.