Fishing at Perry Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Perry Lake lies in Vilas County, in Wisconsin. It sits at 1,677 feet above sea level. At 21 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Compared with other Wisconsin water on our list, it sits high. Some 20 miles away sits Eagle River, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Green Bay, 134 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Perry Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Vilas County records list bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Perry Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 9°F to 65°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Perry Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Coffee Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Perry Lake may have changed since it was mapped.