Roothouse Lake Fishing Guide, Lincoln County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Lincoln County, Wisconsin, is where Roothouse Lake sits. The surroundings are rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 22 acres — small enough to read in one session. It sits higher than most water we list in Wisconsin. Some 11 miles away sits Tomahawk, the nearest settlement. Then Rhinelander, 15 miles, and Merrill, 19 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Roothouse Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Lincoln County cover brown trout, rainbow trout and pumpkinseed. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Roothouse Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Roothouse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Pickerel Lake, 0.4 miles out. Signs at Roothouse Lake carry more weight than any list.