Fishing at Sunfish Lake, Burnett County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Sunfish Lake falls in Burnett County, part of Wisconsin. It sits at 945 feet above sea level. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Burnett County list. For supplies, Frederic is 17 miles out. Then Spooner, 19 miles, and Shell Lake, 19 miles. Water in the same corner: Horseshoe Lake 0.6 miles, 0.8 miles away is Money Lake, Austin Lake 1.3 miles, 1.6 miles away is Bass Lake and Lily Lake 2.2 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Sunfish Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Burnett County: brown trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Sunfish Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 10°F in January and 69°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan around that when you fish Sunfish Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Horseshoe Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Where Sunfish Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.