Fishing Sand Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Sand Lake is set in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. The ground around here is pine and birch. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Bayfield County standards. Lake Nebagamon is the closest town at 14 miles. The nearest city of size is Saint Paul, 132 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Sand Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Bayfield County include rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Sand Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 8°F for January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Sand Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Camp Two Lake at 2.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Sand Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.