Fishing Little Nelligan Lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Oconto County in Wisconsin is where Little Nelligan Lake sits. It sits in pine and birch country. The water covers some 27 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 0.9 miles on foot. Ground here is low by Wisconsin standards. Oconto Falls sits 20 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Gillett is 20 miles away, with Peshtigo at 21 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Little Nelligan Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Oconto County include brown trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Little Nelligan Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 69°F and January near 13°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Little Nelligan Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Mattrich Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Little Nelligan Lake carry more weight than any list.