Pots Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Pots Lake is one of the Oscoda County listings for Michigan. The surroundings are mixed forest. 12 miles away sits Lewiston, the nearest town. Further out sit Mio (14 miles) and Hubbard Lake (26 miles). Others close at hand: Whitabee Lake roughly 0.9 miles, Rhoads Lake a shade over 1.8 miles, Churchill Lake roughly 2.3 miles, Little Bass Lake a shade over 3.3 miles and Blue Lake roughly 3.3 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Pots Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Oscoda County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, white sucker, bluegill, brown trout and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Pots Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Open water usually runs from mid April until about early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Anyone fishing Pots Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Whitabee Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Where Pots Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.