Fishing at Surprise Lake, Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Out in Oconto County, Wisconsin, sits Surprise Lake. The land about it is lake country bush. Roughly 67 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.6 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It ranks high for size among our Oconto County listings. Nearest place of any size is Crandon, 21 miles away. Nashville follows at 23 miles, then Antigo at 30 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Surprise Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Oconto County, recorded fish include brown trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Surprise Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 66°F, with January the cold end at about 11°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Surprise Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Little Pickerel Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Surprise Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.