Ritter Lake Fishing Guide, Forest County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Forest County, Ritter Lake is a Wisconsin water. The setting is mixed forest. Small at around 2 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Forest County list. 17 miles away sits Stambaugh, Iron River, the nearest town. Green Bay is the closest city, 102 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Ritter Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Forest County include brown trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Ritter Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 65°F for July and 10°F for January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Ritter Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Rat Lake is 4.3 miles distant. Rules at Ritter Lake are worth checking on the day.