Fishing at Spider Lake, Iron County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Spider Lake is an Iron County water, in Wisconsin. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. The water covers around 355 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The perimeter runs near 6.6 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Iron County are bigger. 18 miles away sits Lac du Flambeau, the nearest town. Beyond it, Hurley at 18 miles and Ironwood at 18 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Spider Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Iron County include walleye, northern pike, yellow perch and muskellunge. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Spider Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 10°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Spider Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. This falls in or next to protected ground, so rules will be tighter than usual. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Sells Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. For Spider Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.