Fishing at Sunfish Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Within Vilas County, Wisconsin, you have Sunfish Lake. The surface lies 1,614 feet up. Around 57 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 1.3 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. For supplies, Lac du Flambeau is 4.1 miles out. Further out sit Park Falls (29 miles) and Eagle River (30 miles). The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Sunfish Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Vilas County: bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of Sunfish Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 9°F in January to roughly 66°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That shapes the year on Sunfish Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Big Crooked Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Sunfish Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.