Upper Sugarbush Lake Fishing near Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Wisconsin holds Upper Sugarbush Lake, in Vilas County. It stands 1,588 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 141 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 2.4 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. For supplies, Lac du Flambeau is 4.5 miles out. Park Falls is 28 miles and Wakefield 31 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Upper Sugarbush Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. 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. Records held for Vilas County cover bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and rock bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Upper Sugarbush Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 9°F in January and 66°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Upper Sugarbush Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Little Sugarbush Lake, 0.6 miles out. What applies at Upper Sugarbush Lake may have changed since it was mapped.