Fireside Lakes

This Rusk County water is Fireside Lakes, a lake with published numbers of about 211 acres; a dependable maximum depth is not in the current record, and that is a much better place to start than pretending every lake fishes the same.

Start with the basics

I would make the first trip about learning the water, not conquering it and I would make sure I actually fish one shallow area, one stretch of cover, and one deeper break before making the day harder than it needs to be.

What you can fish for

For this exact water, the recorded fish are Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch; which tells me to think about weeds, wood, rock, or docks for bass and points, breaks, and wind-pushed edges for walleye, and keep the day practical and easy to change.

Keeping the first trip simple

If a buddy asked me how to start on Fireside Lakes, I would make a short plan, fish it honestly, and change areas only when the water gives me a reason, then I would check the current Wisconsin rules before the first cast.