Blue Gill Lake Fishing near Gaylord, Michigan

• Overview

  Blue Gill Lake lies within the bounds of Otsego County, Michigan. The land about it is rolling bush. It measures about 30 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Nearest town is Gaylord, 13 miles off. After that come Grayling at 13 miles and Mancelona at 18 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Blue Gill Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Otsego County list rock bass, white sucker and largemouth bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Blue Gill Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 66°F and January at 17°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Blue Gill Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Parking is not close: 0.9 miles from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. A jetty or pier is mapped about 0.9 miles from here. There are toilets 0.9 miles off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Horseshoe Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. For Blue Gill Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.