Fishing Camp Five Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Oconto County, Wisconsin, this is Camp Five Lake. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. Small at around 21 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. You are 26 miles from Legend Lake. After that come Keshena at 27 miles and Gillett at 27 miles. Water in the same corner: Key Lake within 0.6 miles, Winslow Lake some 0.7 miles off, Buck Lake within 1 mile, Maiden Lake some 1.5 miles off and Little Gillett Lake within 1.5 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Camp Five Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Oconto County cover brown trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Camp Five Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 12°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Camp Five Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Key Lake, 0.6 miles away. Check the position at Camp Five Lake before loading the car.