Temple Lake in Oconto County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Oconto County, Wisconsin. The water sits 1,014 feet up. It covers about 20 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. For a base, Legend Lake sits 18 miles out. Green Bay sits 51 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Temple Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Oconto County: brown trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Temple Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 68°F, with January the cold end at about 13°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about early December in an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Temple Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Pat Lake sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Temple Lake are worth checking on the day.