Wood Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Taylor County, Wisconsin, this is Wood Lake. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. Roughly 63 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 1.3 miles keeps the choices simple. It is among the larger waters listed here for Taylor County. Some 19 miles away sits Medford, the nearest settlement. After that come Tomahawk at 19 miles and Athens at 21 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Wood Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Taylor County records list brown trout, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Wood Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 10°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It sets the rhythm of the year at Wood Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Spirit Lake sits 4.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Wood Lake before loading the car.