Valley Lake Fishing Guide, Forest County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Valley Lake is one of the Forest County waters in Wisconsin. The setting is lake country bush on every side. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. For supplies, Crandon is 22 miles out. Green Bay is the closest city, 71 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Valley Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Forest County include brown trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Valley Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 11°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Valley Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Harper Lake is 2.8 miles off. Nothing on Valley Lake should be assumed from this page alone.