Fishing at Forbes Spring, Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Oconto County, Forbes Spring is a Wisconsin water. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. It is pond-in-a-field scale, with the far bank a short lob away. On size it sits at the modest end of our Oconto County list. You are 30 miles from Gillett. Green Bay is the closest city, 58 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Forbes Spring

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Oconto County include brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Forbes Spring should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 67°F; by January the average is down near 12°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Expect Forbes Spring to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Forbes Springs State Natural Area takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Waubee Lake at 3.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Forbes Spring for certain.