Ventor Lake near Antigo: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Ventor Lake is one of the Langlade County waters in Wisconsin. What surrounds it is rolling bush. It covers about 13 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Start from Antigo, 13 miles down the road. Green Bay sits 75 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Ventor Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Ventor Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 66°F on average, January about 10°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Ventor Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Upper Ventor Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Ventor Lake are worth checking on the day.