Smith Lake Fishing near Tomahawk, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Smith Lake falls in Lincoln County, part of Wisconsin. It stands 1,453 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 30 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Supplies mean a trip to Tomahawk, 3.8 miles off. The big place round here is Green Bay, 106 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Lincoln County: brown trout, rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, walleye and bluegill. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Smith Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 10°F to 67°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Smith Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Reserve land runs up to the bank here, so read the notices. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Mequithy Lake is 0.6 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Smith Lake.