Starrett Lake Fishing Guide, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Vilas County, Wisconsin, is where Starrett Lake sits. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. Roughly 67 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 1.3 miles of margin, front to back. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Wisconsin listings. Lac du Flambeau is the closest town at 16 miles. Eagle River is 18 miles and Rhinelander 28 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Starrett Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Vilas County: bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Treat Starrett Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 9°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Anyone fishing Starrett Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. A toilet block sits half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Blueberry Lake is 0.8 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Starrett Lake.