Wilson Lake in Bayfield County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Wilson Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. Surface area is around 82 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 2.1 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Few waters listed in Bayfield County are bigger. Little Round Lake sits 16 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Hayward is 19 miles away, with Ashland at 34 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Wilson Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Bayfield County: rainbow smelt, brown trout, yellow perch, rainbow trout and white sucker. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Wilson Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 8°F in January to roughly 66°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at Wilson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Star Lake, 1.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Wilson Lake before loading the car.