Richart Lake in Burnett County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Richart Lake is listed under Burnett County, Wisconsin. It sits at 988 feet above sea level. At 23 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. For a base, Spooner sits 22 miles out. Shell Lake lies 27 miles off, Hayward another 28 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout. You can learn the basics of it in one visit.

• Where to Fish on Richart Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Burnett County list brown trout, northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Richart Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 68°F for July and 9°F for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Richart Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Bradley Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Richart Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.