South Refuge Flowage Fishing near Grantsburg, Wisconsin

• Overview

  South Refuge Flowage falls in Burnett County, part of Wisconsin. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. With some 218 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline length is close to 4.8 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Burnett County are bigger. The town to know is Grantsburg, 5.8 miles out. Frederic is 15 miles and Pine City 17 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on South Refuge Flowage

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Across Burnett County, recorded fish include brown trout, northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of South Refuge Flowage rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 69°F and January near 9°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on South Refuge Flowage rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Upper Phantom Flowage sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at South Refuge Flowage before loading the car.