Fishing Rib Lake in Taylor County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Rib Lake falls in Taylor County, part of Wisconsin. The country here is lake country bush. At some 312 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Around 3.0 miles of margin, front to back. It ranks high for size among our Taylor County listings. You are 14 miles from Medford. Athens is 20 miles away, with Tomahawk at 25 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Rib Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Taylor County cover brown trout, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Rib Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 66°F on average, January about 9°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Rib Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. Reserve land runs up to the bank here, so read the notices. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Little Rib Lake, 1.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Rib Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.