Sand Lake Fishing near Spooner, Wisconsin

• Overview

  This water sits in Douglas County, Wisconsin. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. At some 248 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Shoreline length is close to 3.2 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Douglas County are bigger. Nearest town is Spooner, 23 miles off. Beyond it, Hayward at 27 miles and Shell Lake at 29 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Sand Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Douglas County records list yellow perch, walleye, white sucker and black crappie among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Sand Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 68°F for July and 9°F for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Sand Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Mud Lake is 1 mile off. Ask locally about Sand Lake if anything is unclear.