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Rating depth structure for yellow perch.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
160-acre lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 25 ft. The depth chart comes from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, Franklin Lake runs 160 acres with 2.5 miles of edge — one island included. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 77% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.6-mi widest point. You'll find it in Oneida County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Torpy Lake, 1 mi northeast of here.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 15 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. Winter smallmouth bass concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 15 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 24 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Franklin Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), walleye (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Franklin Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 24 ft down.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Walleye (large fingerling) | 749 | ~6" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Franklin Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Franklin Lake is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, walleye on Franklin 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.
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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Yes — per Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary records, Franklin Lake was most recently stocked 2024 with 749 walleye (large fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Franklin Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Torpy Lake 1 mi · Inkpot Lake 1 mi · Marion Lake 1 mi · Sunday Lake 1 mi · Squirrel Lake* 2 mi · Havener Lake 2 mi · Bellmore Lake 2 mi · Patterson Lake 2 mi · Scotchman Lake 2 mi · Diamond Lake 2 mi · David Lake 2 mi · Lucy Lake 3 mi
See how Franklin Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Oneida County fishing maps (372 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Lake maps. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.