Spies Lake Fishing near Gillett, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Oconto County end of Wisconsin holds Spies Lake. It stands 850 feet above sea level. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Wisconsin listings. The nearest place of any size is Gillett, 14 miles away. Green Bay sits 41 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Spies Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Oconto County, recorded fish include brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Spies Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 13°F in January and 68°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Spies Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Ucil Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Spies Lake before loading the car.