Fishing at Pine Island Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Vilas County in Wisconsin is where Pine Island Lake sits. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. With some 76 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 1.4 miles, small enough to learn in a day. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Wisconsin listings. Eagle River is the closest place, 5.2 miles off. It is 117 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Pine Island Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Pine Island Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 9°F at the bottom of winter. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Pine Island Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. This lies within protected land, so the rules will be stricter than usual. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Rade Lake, 1.2 miles away. Check the position on Pine Island Lake before loading the car.