Fishing at Stella Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Look for Stella Lake in the Vilas County part of Wisconsin. The bank is 1,594 feet above sea level. It measures about 102 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 1.6 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. For supplies, Eagle River is 11 miles out. Green Bay is the closest city, 122 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Stella Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name bluegill, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Stella Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 9°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Stella Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Deadman Lake is 0.6 miles off. What applies at Stella Lake may have changed since it was mapped.