Fishing at Zalensky Pond, Burnett County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Burnett County, Zalensky Pond is a Wisconsin water. The bank is 935 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Burnett County list. The town to know is Grantsburg, 8.3 miles out. For a city, Saint Paul is 69 miles off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Zalensky Pond

  We hold no depth figure for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Burnett County cover brown trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Work Zalensky Pond in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 69°F and January near 9°F on the long-run figures. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Zalensky Pond around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Monson Lake is 0.9 miles off. Treat Zalensky Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.