Fishing at Spruce Lake, Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Spruce Lake lies in Oneida County, Wisconsin. The surroundings are rolling bush. Roughly 38 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. You are 9.9 miles from Rhinelander. Green Bay is the closest city, 111 miles away. Round about: Spruce Lake the better part of 0.6 miles, Timber Lake 0.8 miles away, Swamp Lake the better part of 1 mile, East Horsehead Lake 1.3 miles away and West Horsehead Lake the better part of 1.4 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Spruce Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Oneida County include brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Spruce Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. At Spruce Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Spruce Lake is 0.6 miles off. Treat access at Spruce Lake as something to verify.