Otter Lake in Forest County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Otter Lake is one of the Forest County listings for Wisconsin. It lies 1,306 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 79 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 1.3 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Start from Crandon, 21 miles down the road. Green Bay is the closest city, 68 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Otter Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Forest County include brown trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Otter Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 66°F; the cold one sits at 11°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Otter Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Gem Lake, 1 mile out. What applies at Otter Lake may have changed since it was mapped.