Little Popple Lake in Forest County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Forest County, Wisconsin, is where Little Popple Lake sits. Around the bank it is mixed forest. The water covers some 25 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The closest town, Crandon, is 8 miles distant. Nashville lies 12 miles off, Antigo another 31 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Little Popple Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Forest County include brown trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Little Popple Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 11°F to 65°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Little Popple Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Popple Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Little Popple Lake.