Fishing Yawkey Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Out in Oneida County, Wisconsin, sits Yawkey Lake. The water sits 1,575 feet up. It runs to roughly 92 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 1.8 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. 16 miles away sits Lac du Flambeau, the nearest town. Further out sit Rhinelander (18 miles) and Tomahawk (21 miles). No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Yawkey Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Oneida County include brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Yawkey Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in July and bottom out at 9°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Yawkey Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Lee Lake, 0.6 miles out. Signs at Yawkey Lake carry more weight than any list.