Gilbert Lake in Waushara County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Waushara County, Wisconsin. It sits at 886 feet above sea level. With some 140 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 2.4 miles of margin, front to back. Size puts it in the front rank of our Waushara County list. Mount Morris is the closest place, 6.9 miles off. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 61 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Gilbert Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Waushara County names brown trout, rainbow trout, bluegill and largemouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Gilbert Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 71°F and January near 15°F on the long-run figures. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Gilbert Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Pine Lake is 1.4 miles off. Check the position on Gilbert Lake before loading the car.