Turner Lake in Vilas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Turner Lake sits in Vilas County, out in Wisconsin. It sits in pine and birch country. At about 159 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Lac du Flambeau at 8.6 miles is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Park Falls (19 miles) and Phillips (22 miles). Within a short run: 1.1 miles away is Pike Lake, Round Lake at 1.6 miles, 1.8 miles away is Amik Lake, Deer Lake at 1.9 miles and 2.1 miles away is McArthur Lake. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Turner Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Vilas County names bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Turner Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 66°F, the coldest about 9°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Turner Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Pike Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Turner Lake.