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325-acre lake in Burnett County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 39 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Big Trade Lake maps at 326 acres behind 6.4 miles of shoreline. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 69% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 1.1 mi, about 0.9 mi across. It sits in Burnett County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Pickle Lake, is 1 mi to the southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 12 to 39 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 39 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season muskellunge use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 18 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring largemouth bass on Big Trade Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 33 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Big Trade Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 33 ft.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR - Boat Access Sites, Shore Fishing Sites, and DNR Parking Lots. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Big Trade Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Big Trade Lake is about 39 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Big Trade Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Big Trade Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pickle Lake 1 mi · Bass Lake 2 mi · Gabrielson Lake 2 mi · Holmes Lake 2 mi · Round Lake 2 mi · Spook Lake 2 mi · Little Holmes Lake 2 mi · Pine Lake 2 mi · Lone Pine Lake 2 mi · Long Trade Lake 3 mi · Rice Lake 3 mi · Isaac Lake 3 mi
See how Big Trade Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Burnett County fishing maps (183 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.