Stearns Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Stearns Lake falls in Vilas County, part of Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,608 feet up. It runs to roughly 230 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge covers about 3.7 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. It ranks high for size among our Vilas County listings. Lac du Flambeau lies 4.4 miles from the water. Beyond it, Eagle River at 27 miles and Rhinelander at 31 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Stearns Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Vilas County cover bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Stearns Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 9°F in January and 65°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Expect Stearns Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Moving Cloud Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Stearns Lake for certain.