Fishing Turtle Lake in Forest County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  The Forest County end of Wisconsin holds Turtle Lake. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. The water measures roughly 11 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Our Forest County list holds plenty of bigger water. Crandon lies 22 miles from the water. It is 66 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Turtle Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Forest County, recorded fish include brown trout, largemouth bass and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Anyone new to Turtle Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 12°F in January up to 66°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Turtle Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Seal Lake, 0.9 miles away. Nothing on Turtle Lake should be assumed from this page alone.