Fishing O'Brien Lake in Berrien County, Michigan

• Overview

  Within Berrien County, Michigan, you have O'Brien Lake. What surrounds it is mixed forest. At 17 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. 4.9 miles away sits Berrien Springs, the nearest town. Dowagiac is 7.4 miles and Niles 10 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on O'Brien Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Berrien County cover alewife, rainbow smelt and bloater. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. O'Brien Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 73°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid March. Break-up sits around mid March on average, with the water closing again about late December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. O'Brien Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Bernhart Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing on O'Brien Lake should be assumed from this page alone.