Fishing Dixon Lake in Otsego County, Michigan

• Overview

  Within Otsego County, Michigan, you have Dixon Lake. This is lake country bush ground. Around 75 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. With about 1.7 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Size puts it in the front rank of our Otsego County list. Gaylord at 3 miles is the nearest place to stop. Lewiston is 18 miles away, with Mancelona at 22 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Dixon Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Otsego County: rock bass, white sucker, largemouth bass and northern pike. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Dixon Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 17°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. From about mid April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Dixon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The nearest recorded ramp is Dixon Lake Boat Launch, half a mile out. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, McCoy Lake is 0.6 miles off. Confirm before you fish Dixon Lake.