Musky Shop Northwoods Lake of the Month: High Lake
As anyone from the Northwoods can attest, there are loads of lakes, rivers, and waterways to target musky, walleye, and panfish. So, if you’re like me and you’re on a lake hunt to find some peaceful waters loaded down with gamefish, look no further than High Lake just Northeast of Boulder Junction. Though sometimes it’s the tiny slices of heaven we might be looking for; High Lake is a bigger piece of the pie but just as tranquil. High Lake locks in a solid 741 acres, giving boaters and anglers alike a good enough distance from one another’s transoms.
High Lake is a bean-shaped lake with a great deal of solid area to target for the gamefish of your choice. This lake is packed with all of our favorite types of cover and structure, surely holding a good-sized gal or two. Though High Lake does have a max depth of 36 feet, its deep holes are less common than its great humps, islands, shelves and vegetation spread throughout. Through the middle of the lake lies a shallow dividing shelf line that can be a good indicator for a musky lurking below with plunging depths on either side.
The Northeastern side of High Lake is the most steadily shallow, with common depths equaling out in the 10-12-foot area. Once you pass Frog Island and head toward the Southwest end of the lake, it’s sprinkled with humps and holes, giving any angler hope when targeting your favorite species. High Lake is locally known to have good-sized muskies, many of which aren’t too hard to find. Despite the solid musky population, many anglers choose to target local walleye. High Lake is known to carry some extra-large walleye, which is the icing on the cake for an afternoon of angling.
Looking to target muskies: give some natural colors a spin. This lake is moderately clear giving you leverage to see incoming muskies and hit them with a solid figure 8. High Lake humps can be expertly targeted with dive and rise or shallow gliders. On super warm days, don't be afraid to try jigging near deeper holds or edges. This lake provide ample casting opportunity so put in the time and you'll surely land a musky. The lower end of the lake is even suitable for a shallow trolling set up if you're feeling squirelly.
High Lake is a great fishery, providing a nice sandy and gravelly bottom for your angling pleasure. Also, it does have a pretty decent boat ramp at the Northeast point. Parking is limited, so you might get to this public ramp early if you’re fishing on weekends and holidays. There’s no room to launch a barge, but there is a single launch suitable for most average-sized musky boats. A small convenience dock is also provided to make your experience even easier. Though the launch and parking ride the highway tightly, the lake is a short meander off a snaking water route, eventually providing visitors with a much more scenic experience than you might think.
For non-local visitors, High Lake has rental cabins and a nearby lodge for clean and perfect lakeside vibes. Also, those traveling can access all of the town amenities nearby in Boulder Junction. A small bit of shopping, eateries, and watering holes are just a short bop down the road. This is one of the easier destination areas to experience the Northwoods as you won’t be too far away from the creature comforts of town. So, the next time you find yourself lake hunting in the Northwoods, give High Lake of Vilas County a gander. It’s a great area to spend a few days connecting with the great outdoors.