Townsend Flowage Fishing in Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Oconto County end of Wisconsin holds Townsend Flowage. The bank gives way to rolling bush. About 445 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The margin runs to about 4.2 miles in total. It is among the larger waters listed here for Oconto County. Nearest town is Crandon, 22 miles off. After that come Nashville at 25 miles and Antigo at 30 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Townsend Flowage

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Oconto County records list brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Townsend Flowage gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 12°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Townsend Flowage regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Smoke Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Townsend Flowage, the notice at the access point is the final word.