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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
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14-acre reservoir in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 13 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 14 acres wrapped in 1.2 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 2.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.4 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. Jackson County claims this one. If the bite dies, Trow Lake (L Merrillan Pond) is 1 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 3 to 13 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 13 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 13 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 6 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 13 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 13 ft, wintering in 4 to 13 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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 | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 11 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| 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 | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 11 ft down.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Rainbow Trout (yearling) | 747 | ~8.6" |
| 2024* | Rainbow Trout (yearling) | 747 | ~8.2" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) is about 13 ft (4 m) deep 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.
Anglers target rainbow trout, yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond). 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 rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. 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, Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) was most recently stocked 2025 with 747 rainbow trout (yearling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) 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.
Trow Lake (L Merrillan Pond) 1 mi · Emerson Lake (Humbird Pond) 6 mi · Arbutus Lake* 7 mi · Oxbow Pond 9 mi · Black River Flowage 9 mi · Dry Land Flowage 10 mi · Funmaker Flowage 10 mi · Snyder Lake 11 mi · Teal Flowage 11 mi · Town Line Flowage 13 mi · Cranberry Flowage, Lower 13 mi · Little Bear Flowage 13 mi
See how Oakwood Lake (U Merrillan Pond) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin · best rainbow trout lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Jackson County fishing maps (39 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.