Fishing at Pictured Rock Lake, Ashland County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Look for Pictured Rock Lake in the Ashland County part of Wisconsin. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. At roughly 5 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Ashland County are larger. Ashland is the closest place, 9.6 miles off. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 142 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Pictured Rock Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Ashland County include rainbow smelt, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Pictured Rock Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 11°F in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Pictured Rock Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It is recorded as an oxbow, which means still water with a river's shape. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Sugarbush Lake is 1.2 miles distant. The position on Pictured Rock Lake is worth confirming on the day.