Makholm Lake Fishing Guide, Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Makholm Lake is an Oconto County water, Wisconsin side. The setting is mixed forest on every side. This is a pocket water of some 16 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is low-lying compared with other Wisconsin water we list. The closest town, Gillett, is 9.6 miles distant. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 38 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Makholm Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Oconto County include brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Makholm Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 69°F and January at 13°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Expect Makholm Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Hoerth Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Makholm Lake before loading the car.