Plummer Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Plummer Lake is one of the Vilas County listings for Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,601 feet up. At about 219 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 2.9 miles, small enough to learn in a day. On our Vilas County list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Lac du Flambeau is 5.6 miles out. Eagle River is 26 miles and Rhinelander 29 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Plummer Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Vilas County list bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Plummer Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 9°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Plummer Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Toulish Lake sits 0.8 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Plummer Lake is worth confirming on the day.