Odell Pond Fishing Guide, Alger County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Odell Pond in the Alger County part of Michigan. The water sits 899 feet up. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Alger County. The nearest place of any size is Munising, 11 miles away. K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base follows at 25 miles, then Harvey at 27 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Odell Pond

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Alger County cover yellow perch, rainbow smelt, northern pike, white sucker and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Odell Pond a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 65°F; the cold one sits at 15°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Odell Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Joe Lake at 1.6 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Odell Pond may have changed since it was mapped.