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Fishing Ess Lake: what the data says
52-acre lake near Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Yellow Perch fishing at Ess Lake
Spring yellow perch on Ess Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Ess Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Ess Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 4 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Ess Lake
Spring bluegill on Ess Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Ess Lake
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 10 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Ess Lake?
Ess Lake is about 12 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Ess Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Ess Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Ess Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Ess Lake?
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Boot Lake · Stone Lake · Upper Springstead Lake · French Lake · Charnley Lake · Lower Springstead Lake
See how Ess Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best yellow perch lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.