Oneida County is home to one of the largest concentrations of freshwater lakes in the world, so there’s plenty of places to fish in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. And you don’t have to be an expert either—Oneida County’s lakes offer easy access and plenty of opportunities to boat a keeper. (Just don’t get upset if your kids catch more than you do.) Here are some great fishing lakes for your next family trip to the Northwoods.

Minocqua Lake, Minocqua

Anyone who’s driven through Oneida County has likely seen Minocqua Lake, a massive 1,300-acre lake that wraps around the charming town of Minocqua (also known as “The Island City”). Minocqua Lake is a popular destination for anglers and watersports enthusiasts alike, and those families that bring a fishing pole along on their boat ride will find lots of panfish, bass, walleye and musky. There are four public boat launches on the lake (Stack’s Bay, Cedar Street, Park Street and Menominee Street).

Boom Lake, Rhinelander

In the heart of downtown Rhinelander sits Boom Lake, a 365-acre lake that’s actually an impoundment of the Wisconsin River. Boom Lake is a great place to catch panfish, but you’ll also find musky, largemouth bass and northern pike in good numbers. It’s easy to get on the lake, too—there’s a public boat launch at Hodag Park on the southern shore. Don’t have a boat? There’s a popular fishing pier at the park where you can try your luck.

Hodag Park stretches along the southern shore of the lake and is a great destination for walkers and sunset watchers. There’s also a public beach for families to enjoy, as well as a play area and baseball/softball diamonds.

Torpy Park sits along the shores of the lake north of downtown Minocqua, and there are plenty of waterside restaurants to enjoy, too, including the Thirsty Whale and the Boathouse, where you can park your boat and enjoy a nice outdoor dining experience.

Big Lake, Three Lakes

This 845-acre lake sits at the southern end of the Three Lakes Chain of Lakes and therefore isn’t used as heavily as some of the other lakes in the chain. Get ready for a great day of fishing: Big Lake is home to a healthy population of musky and walleye, as well as panfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and pike. Big Lake is accessible from three public boat launches—two on the north side of the lake (one off North Big Lake Loop Road and one off Schultz Landing Loop Road) and one on the east side of the lake (off East Big Lake Loop Road).

 

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Find more Oneida County fishing information here.