Chain-O-Lakes Fishing Guide, Otsego County, Michigan

• Overview

  Chain-O-Lakes is an Otsego County water, in Michigan. What surrounds it is rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 7 acres — small enough to read in one session. Gaylord sits 5 miles from the bank. Lewiston is 17 miles and Grayling 21 miles. Also on the doorstep: 0.2 miles out stands Ottowa Lake, Apache Lake near enough 0.2 miles, 0.3 miles out stands Seminole Lake, Horseshoe Lake near enough 0.4 miles and 0.6 miles out stands Long Lake. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Chain-O-Lakes

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Otsego County include rock bass, white sucker, largemouth bass and northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. On Chain-O-Lakes a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 17°F in January and 67°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing Chain-O-Lakes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Ottowa Lake is 0.2 miles distant. For Chain-O-Lakes, the notice at the access point is the final word.