Gillett Lake Fishing in Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Oconto County entry here is Gillett Lake, in Wisconsin. Height above sea level is 1,168 feet. Around 33 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 1.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The town to know is Legend Lake, 25 miles out. Beyond it, Keshena at 26 miles and Gillett at 27 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Gillett Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Oconto County: brown trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Gillett Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 12°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It holds true on Gillett Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Little Gillett Lake is 0.3 miles off. For Gillett Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.