Lower Wapato Lake in Oconto County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Oconto County, Wisconsin, this is Lower Wapato Lake. Height above sea level is 1,348 feet. Surface area is around 38 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 1.1 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Crandon is the closest town at 23 miles. Beyond it, Nashville at 24 miles and Antigo at 26 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lower Wapato Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Lower Wapato Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 67°F, the coldest about 12°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. 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. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lower Wapato Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Little Wapato Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Treat access at Lower Wapato Lake as something to verify.