Fishing at Turtle Lake, Oconto County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Look for Turtle Lake in the Oconto County part of Wisconsin. The country here is mixed forest. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Oconto County list holds plenty of bigger water. Supplies mean a trip to Gillett, 10 miles off. It is 38 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Turtle Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Oconto County include brown trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Turtle Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 13°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. From about mid April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Turtle Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Cooley Lake is 0.7 miles off. Check the position on Turtle Lake before loading the car.