Fishing at Spring Lake, Sawyer County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Sawyer County in Wisconsin is where Spring Lake sits. Height above sea level is 1,260 feet. It runs to roughly 201 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 2.6 miles, small enough to learn in a day. For a base, Little Round Lake sits 2.7 miles out. Hayward follows at 4.2 miles, then Spooner at 25 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Spring Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Sawyer County list walleye, brown trout and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Spring Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 9°F in January and 68°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Spring Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Petty Lake, 0.9 miles out. Check the position on Spring Lake before loading the car.