Fishing at Shay Lake, Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Shay Lake belongs to Oconto County. It sits at 1,306 feet above sea level. It measures about 46 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 1.3 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The nearest place of any size is Crandon, 25 miles away. Nashville lies 26 miles off, Legend Lake another 26 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Shay Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Oconto County list 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. Shay Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 12°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Shay Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Dollar Lake at 0.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Shay Lake locally before you travel.