Pickerel Lake Fishing near Gillett, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Set in Oconto County, Wisconsin, this is Pickerel Lake. It sits at 850 feet above sea level. At about 34 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 1.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is low-lying compared with other Wisconsin water we list. The town to know is Gillett, 22 miles out. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 47 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Oconto County list brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Pickerel Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 13°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Pickerel Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Frog Lake is 0.6 miles off. Rules at Pickerel Lake are worth checking on the day.