West Lake in Sawyer County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, West Lake belongs to Sawyer County. The ground round it is mixed forest. It measures about 36 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The closest town, Spooner, is 16 miles away. Then Little Round Lake, 17 miles, and Shell Lake, 17 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on West Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show 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 Sawyer County cover walleye, brown trout, largemouth bass and muskellunge. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. West Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 68°F and January about 9°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. West Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Osprey Lake is 0.6 miles distant. For West Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.