Little Crapo Lake Fishing Guide, Otsego County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Otsego County end of Michigan holds Little Crapo Lake. The country here is mixed forest. At 21 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Lewiston, 8.3 miles away, for anything you forgot. Gaylord is 14 miles and Grayling 20 miles. Within a short run: Crapo Lake 0.9 miles off, Clear Lake out at 2.2 miles, Round Lake 2.6 miles off, Little Bass Lake out at 2.6 miles and Douglas Lake 2.7 miles off. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Little Crapo Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Otsego County include rock bass, white sucker, largemouth bass and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Little Crapo Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 16°F at the bottom of winter. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Crapo Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Crapo Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Little Crapo Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.