Round Lake in Polk County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Round Lake falls in Polk County, part of Wisconsin. Elevation runs to 1,234 feet. Small at around 23 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. 7.7 miles away sits Turtle Lake, the nearest town. Saint Paul sits 58 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Round Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Polk County include brown trout, rainbow trout and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Round Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 10°F in January and 69°F in July. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. At Round Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Long Lake, 0.7 miles away. Check the position on Round Lake before loading the car.