Otter Lake in Luce County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Luce County, Otter Lake is a Michigan water. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. The water measures roughly 15 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Supplies mean a trip to Newberry, 18 miles off. It is 183 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Otter Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name yellow perch, white sucker, walleye, pink salmon and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Otter Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 64°F; by January the average is down near 16°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Otter Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Brush Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Check the position on Otter Lake before loading the car.