Dobie Lake in Ingham County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Michigan, Dobie Lake belongs to Ingham County. It sits in rolling bush. With some 26 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 0.9 miles, and most of it is walkable. The nearest place of any size is Okemos, 4.2 miles away. The nearest city of size is Lansing, 9.3 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Dobie Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name bluegill, rock bass, smallmouth bass and green sunfish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Dobie Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 70°F and January near 21°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Dobie Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Wildlife Lake is 5.3 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Dobie Lake.