Fishing the rivers and lakes.
Fishing is what a lot of Spooner families mean by a good weekend. Within a short drive of downtown you can wade a wild river for brown trout, drift a shallow panfish lake with a fry pan in the boat, or cast musky water on a bigger lake, and nearly all of it is public. Here is where we fish, and what each spot is good for.
All Spooner field guidesThe big river
The Namekagon: trout and a whole lot more.
The Namekagon River is the region's signature fishery, and the DNR's own description of the brown trout there is world-class. It is not a one-species river either: anglers work it for walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, lake sturgeon, and panfish, which is an unusual spread for a single stretch of water.
Because the river is shallow and rocky, much of it wades well, and that changes the whole experience: you can read the water like a trout stream and cover a mile of river in a morning without a boat. For boaters, the flat-water sections above Trego suit canoes and kayaks beautifully, and the river is a favorite for a float-and-cast day.
The Namekagon River Fishery Area in eastern Washburn County is the public access anchor: a DNR property with an unimproved boat launch onto the river and legal angling for brown and brook trout, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, walleye, northern pike, and catfish. It is the kind of place where the state bought the riverbank decades ago specifically so the water would stay open to everyone.
The creek at the property line
Potato Creek, out the back door.
The log home at N6101 9th St sits right on a DNR-designated stretch of Potato Creek, a trout stream that runs along the property boundary. For the people who buy a place like this, the creek is not a recreation plan, it is the daily backdrop: wade it in hip boots after work, listen to it from the screened porch, and keep a fly rod within reach.
A creek this size fishes best small and quiet, early and late. It is a classic Wisconsin spring-fed trout stream, and the DNR designation is what keeps it managed for trout. Respect the private banks along its length, fish from the public water, and it will keep giving.
The town lake
Spooner Lake: the panfish shore lunch.
Spooner Lake, about 1,100 acres and shallow for its size, is the town lake in the best sense: close, easy, and dependable. The fish story here is panfish, with northern pike also abundant, largemouth bass common, and walleye present, and the locals will tell you the bluegill and crappie make a real shore lunch. That is not a metaphor. People actually stop at the landing, clean what they caught, and cook it up.
Two public boat landings keep the whole lake accessible, shallow water makes it friendly for small boats, canoes, and kids' first fishing, and it fishes all year, including through the ice. For a low-pressure afternoon with the family, it is hard to beat.
Big-fish water
Lake McKenzie, and the hatchery that feeds the region.
When the goal is a trophy, Lake McKenzie is the local answer: a lake known for muskellunge, northern pike, and walleye. Musky fishing is its own religion, with big baits, long casts, and a fish of a thousand casts, and McKenzie is where the faithful make the drive. If you are new to it, the musky community here is friendly, and the season, size, and gear rules are on the DNR pages.
West of Spooner off Highway 70 sits the Governor Tommy G. Thompson State Fish Hatchery, the largest cool-water hatchery in Wisconsin and the world's largest musky hatchery, raising many of the walleye and muskellunge that get stocked across the state. It is genuinely worth a stop on its own: the visitor center and museum are free, open on weekdays, with guided tours on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the hatchery grounds include a picnic area.
Right behind the hatchery, the Yellow River Flowage pier is a designated kids' fishing area: bank and pier fishing for panfish, trout, bass, northern pike, and walleye, with an accessible site and restrooms.
That pier and the shoreline along the flowage are exactly what they sound like: a place to take a child, a grandparent, or a first-timer and catch fish from solid ground. The DNR lists it among its take-kids-fishing destinations in the area, and it is minutes from town.
Fishing well
Licenses, rules, and the unwritten ones.
- License first. Wisconsin requires a fishing license for residents and non-residents 16 and older, and the DNR sells them online. Buy your license and a trout stamp before you hit the water.
- Clean, drain, dry. Washburn County's lakes and rivers are fighting aquatic invasive species. Clean your boat, drain the bilge, and dry before moving between waters.
- Know your bank. Public water does not mean public land. Fish from the water or from public access, and leave the posted banks alone.
- Ice season. In winter, the hard-water crowd returns to Spooner Lake for panfish and pike. Fish with a friend, check ice thickness locally, and never assume.
Keep exploring
More of the lake country.
Lake life around Spooner, a field guide
Spooner Lake, Long Lake, Shell Lake, and the rivers between them, and what each is known for.
Read onWildlife and nature around Spooner
Deer at the property line, wild trout in the creek, and sandhill cranes at Crex Meadows.
Read onOutdoor recreation, four seasons
The full year of fishing, paddling, trails, hunting, and winter sports around Spooner.
Read onCome see it for yourself.
The best guide to Spooner is a day spent in it. If you are house-hunting in the area, send a note and we will map your afternoon around what you love.
Ask a local