Fishing at King Lake, Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Oconto County, Wisconsin, this is King Lake. What surrounds it is pine and birch. The water covers some 31 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 0.9 miles keeps the choices simple. For supplies, Crandon is 25 miles out. Green Bay is the closest city, 65 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on King Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On King Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in July and bottom out at 11°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing King Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Spruce Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Confirm before you fish King Lake.