Riley Lake Fishing in Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Iron County entry here is Riley Lake, in Wisconsin. The water sits 1,562 feet up. Surface area is around 190 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The whole outline is near 2.2 miles, and most of it is walkable. Few waters listed in Iron County are bigger. Nearest place of any size is Park Falls, 14 miles away. It is 139 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Riley Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Iron County cover walleye, northern pike and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Riley Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 9°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Riley Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a slipway on the shore, half a mile from the water we list. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Robert Sells Flowage 1 sits 3.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to Riley Lake locally before you travel.