Fishing at Chicken Crop Lake, Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Wisconsin holds Chicken Crop Lake, in Oconto County. This is mixed forest country. Surface area is around 28 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. For supplies, Legend Lake is 25 miles out. Keshena is 25 miles away, with Crandon at 27 miles. Close by you also have: Deadman Lake 0.4 miles away, Chicken Foot Lake after 0.4 miles, Cave Lake 0.4 miles away, Small Bass Lakes after 0.7 miles and Line Lake 1 mile away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Chicken Crop Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Oconto County: brown trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Chicken Crop Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 12°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Chicken Crop Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Deadman Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Chicken Crop Lake are worth checking on the day.