Big Island Lake in Oconto County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Big Island Lake is one of the Oconto County waters in Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 1,171 feet. It measures about 38 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 1.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. The closest town, Legend Lake, is 25 miles distant. Keshena follows at 25 miles, then Gillett at 28 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Big Island Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Oconto County, recorded fish include brown trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Big Island Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 12°F for January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan any trip to Big Island Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Upper Island Lake, 0.4 miles out. For Big Island Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.