Fishing at South Pine Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, South Pine Lake falls inside Oneida County. The surroundings are pine and birch. Surface area is around 75 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Bank access stretches around 1.5 miles in total. Some 3.4 miles away sits Rhinelander, the nearest settlement. Eagle River lies 18 miles off, Tomahawk another 21 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on South Pine Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Oneida County include brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On South Pine Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 10°F in January to roughly 66°F in July. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On South Pine Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lake Creek, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on South Pine Lake should be assumed from this page alone.