Wild Rice Lake Fishing near Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Wild Rice Lake sits within Vilas County in Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 1,591 feet. It measures some 384 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Some 3.4 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Vilas County list it sits near the top for size. Lac du Flambeau sits 8 miles from the bank. For a city, Green Bay is 137 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Wild Rice Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Vilas County records list bluegill, yellow perch and walleye among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Wild Rice Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 66°F; by January the average is down near 9°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Wild Rice Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Snort Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Wild Rice Lake locally before you travel.