Spider Lake in Douglas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Douglas County, Wisconsin, you have Spider Lake. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. It runs to roughly 52 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. With about 1.3 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Lake Nebagamon, 22 miles off. It is 106 miles to Saint Paul, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Spider Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Douglas County include yellow perch, walleye, white sucker, black crappie and rainbow smelt. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fish Spider Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 68°F and January near 9°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Spider Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Webb Lake sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Spider Lake may have changed since it was mapped.