Fishing at Pat Shay Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Pat Shay Lake belongs to Oneida County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,657 feet up. The water covers some 117 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 2.1 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It sits higher than most water we list in Wisconsin. The closest town, Eagle River, is 10 miles distant. Crandon follows at 23 miles, then Iron River at 23 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Pat Shay Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. 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. On Pat Shay Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 10°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Pat Shay Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Sevenmile Lake, 1.2 miles out. For Pat Shay Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.