Little Trout Lake

Vilas, Wisconsin

Little Trout Lake is a 1,007-acre Vilas County lake with a maximum depth of about 98 feet and an average depth of 25 feet. WDNR lists musky, smallmouth bass and walleye as common, with panfish, largemouth bass and trout present.

Air temp in Manitowish Waters, WI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Little Trout Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area1,007 acres

Max depth98 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Muskellunge●●●●○

Common per WDNR

Smallmouth Bass●●●●○

Common per WDNR

Walleye●●●●○

Common per WDNR

Largemouth Bass●●○○○

Present per WDNR

Bluegill●●○○○

Panfish present per WDNR

Lake Trout●●○○○

Trout listed as present by WDNR

Boat launches

1 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

More public accessPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all landingsDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Walleye Walleye, sauger and hybrids; May 2, 2026 - Mar 7, 2027	18 in	3 / day
Largemouth Bass May 2 - Jun 19, 2026 (smallmouth catch and release only)	14 in	5 / day
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass Jun 20, 2026 - Mar 7, 2027	14 in	5 / day
Northern Pike May 2, 2026 - Mar 7, 2027	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	5 / day
Muskellunge May 2 - Dec 31, 2026; open water only	40 in	1 / day
Panfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	25 / day
Catfish Open all year	See Wisconsin rules book ↗	10 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Wisconsin DNR ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Wisconsin DNR before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Northern Highland SportsNearby
10369 Main St, Boulder Junction, WI 54512(715) 385-2134 Directions ↗
Jacks JigsNearby
5541 Shamrock Rd, Boulder Junction, WI 54512(715) 385-3335 Directions ↗
Up North TradersNearby
2977 State Highway 155, Sayner, WI 54560(715) 542-2046 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Little Trout Lake ↗

Local tips

Deep lake: fish structure and breaks
Bass are catch-and-release year-round per Lake-Link (verify with WDNR)
Rainbow smelt are present in the lake

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.

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Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.