Yellow Perch fishing at Otter Lake

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 32 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. 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.

Northern Pike fishing at Otter Lake

Spring northern pike on Otter Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Otter Lake

Spring largemouth bass on Otter Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

Crappie fishing at Otter Lake

Spring crappie on Otter Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 32 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Bluegill fishing at Otter Lake

In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 17 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

Pumpkinseed fishing at Otter Lake

Spring pumpkinseed on Otter Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 18 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 17 ft, rated good for winter pumpkinseed. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.

How deep is Otter Lake?

Otter Lake is about 38 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 Otter Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Otter 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 Otter Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Otter 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.