Razorback Lake in Vilas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Razorback Lake is one of the Vilas County listings for Wisconsin. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. It measures some 382 acres, and wind has room to build across it. There is roughly 3.8 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It ranks high for size among our Vilas County listings. Eagle River is the closest place, 15 miles off. Further out sit Lac du Flambeau (18 miles) and Rhinelander (27 miles). The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Razorback Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Vilas County include bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Razorback Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 9°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Anyone fishing Razorback Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. 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. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Plum Lake at 1.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Razorback Lake should be assumed from this page alone.