Potter Lake Fishing Guide, Ashland County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Ashland County, Potter Lake is a Wisconsin water. It sits in pine and birch. At about 29 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Ashland sits 21 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Saint Paul is the closest city, 145 miles away. Within easy reach: John Frank Lake near enough 0.9 miles, Mineral Lake within 1.2 miles, English Lake near enough 2 miles, Beaverdam Lake 36 within 2.3 miles and Gilbert Lake near enough 2.6 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Potter Lake

  Depth figures are not published 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. County-wide records name rainbow smelt, yellow perch, white sucker and johnny darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Potter Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 66°F and January near 9°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Potter Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, John Frank Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Ask locally about Potter Lake if anything is unclear.