Lodge Lake near West Branch: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Lodge Lake sits within Ogemaw County in Michigan. This is pine and birch country. The water measures roughly 17 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. The nearest town is West Branch, 14 miles away. Skidway Lake follows at 15 miles, then Sand Lake at 17 miles. Close by you also have: Grebe Lake after 0.4 miles, Grousehaven Lake just 0.5 miles, Scaup Lake after 0.7 miles, Mallard Pond just 0.9 miles and Pintail Pond after 1 mile. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lodge Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Ogemaw County: bluegill, rock bass and pink salmon. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Lodge Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 68°F; the cold one sits at 17°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Lodge Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Launch at Lodge Lake Boat Launch, half a mile from the water. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. There are toilets half a mile off. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Grebe Lake, 0.4 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Lodge Lake for certain.