Fishing is a Northwest Wisconsin staple. With our abundant lakes and rivers, it’s no surprise that some of the best fishing happens off our shorelines.
From calm and quiet small lakes to…well, calm and quiet streams and rivers, a day spent fishing in Northwest Wisconsin is a day you won’t forget.
CHETEK chAIN OF LAKES
Barron County The Chetek Chain of Lakes is a popular, navigable chain of six lakes in Barron County including Chetek, Moose Ear, Ojaski, Pokegama, Prairie and Ten Mile. The chain is well-known for quality panfish and largemouth bass – heavily utilized by anglers and recreational boaters. Learn More
pike lake chain
Price County Pike Lake is a 741 acre lake located in Price County. It has a maximum depth of 17 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from a public boat landing. Fish include Musky, Panfish, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Walleye. Learn More
BONE LAKE
Polk County Bone Lake is a quality Wisconsin fishery with musky minimum length limit of 50 inches. Other species present include crappie, perch, bluegill, large mouth bass and northern pike. Smallmouth bass have recently been stocked. Public boat launches are located at the north and south ends of the lakes. Luck Lions Club manages the beautiful Bone Lake Point Park at the north end with a public boat landing, fishing pier, picnic pavilions, and toilets. Learn More
The Gile Flowage
Iron County Iron County has 228 clean lakes to reel in the catch of a lifetime. The Gile Flowage located in the northern part of the county, is home to Muskie, Northern Pike, Walleye, Bass and Panfish. 3300 acres with a few islands, chances are you’ll see some wildlife while you enjoy the peace and quiet. Learn More
Yellow Lakes & River
Burnett County Did you know Burnett County is home to the State record Hook and Line Lake Sturgeon? It was caught in September of 1979 in Big Yellow Lake and weighed 170 lbs 10 oz., 79 inches; and these prehistoric behemoths are still being caught today. If the sturgeon aren’t running, you can also catch musky, northern, walleye, bass and trout. Learn More
Lake Superior
Bayfield County Summertime is Lake Trout time on Superior. Trollers head out into the Apostle Islands, South Shore, and the flats east of Madeline Island. Inland lakes are fun to explore and fish all summer long. Learn More
Nelson Lake
Sawyer County Nelson Lake is considered as one of the premier bass fishing lakes in all of northern Wisconsin. The pan fishing is always rated as a “hot spot”; it has been considered a “trophy” northern lake; and it is capable of producing that elusive giant walleye. More than 50% of the Nelson Lake shoreline is inhabited only by nature and wildlife. Learn More
Holcombe Flowage
Rusk County Located just minutes south of Ladysmith, Holcombe Flowage is one of northern Wisconsin’s finest fishing and boating opportunities. The long stretches of open water make the lake popular with boaters and water skiers, but the twisting and turning channels and bays give anglers an abundance of undisturbed water. The lake has long been known as a top trophy musky lake. Bluegill and crappie are numerous and the walleye fishing is excellent. Anglers in pursuit of largemouth and smallmouth bass can spend endless hours exploring the lake’s many quiet coves. There’s even a good population of catfish present. Learn More
Copper Falls State Park
Ashland County Chequamegon Bay is home to “World Class” Smallmouth Bass Fishing. Bass fishing nearshore in Ashland is exquisite. And, if you didn’t bring a boat, we have areas to fish off a pier or docks. Try the “Hot Pond”. It’s the Xcel Energy plant which has a 50 ft. pipe that always stays warm even throughout the winter. The fish love the hot pond. Mostly Bass, but you can also catch a Walleye or Perch. Learn More
Lake Wissota
Chippewa County
Nestled in the northwestern portion of Wisconsin, Lake Wissota is located just east of Chippewa Falls, WI, and north of Highway 29. The reservoir was created in 1915 to provide flood control and a source of hydroelectric power along the Chippewa River. The lake offers a number of shore fishing sites along Highway X and provides anglers many opportunities throughout the year.
Long Lake
Washburn County Long Lake, the Walleye Capital of Wisconsin, is a 3,300 acre lake stretching 19 miles long and reaching depths of 70 feet. This gorgeous lake’s cool deep bays, gravel bars and rocky shorelines provide excellent walleye structure. The lake is also a productive year round fishery for many other species including large and small mouth bass, northern, bluegills, and crappies. Learn More
BOIS BRULE RIVER
Douglas County The Bois Brule River, a 44-mile river that empties into Lake Superior, is a world-class must-fish river for anglers hoping to land Steelhead Trout, Chinook Salmon, and Coho Salmon. Often referred to as the “River of Presidents” the Brule has been fished by five United States Presidents – Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Dwight Eisenhower. The river has many public-access areas with ample parking along the route, so stop and see why everyone loves to fish the Brule! Learn More 