Prior Lake in Ogemaw County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Prior Lake lies within the bounds of Ogemaw County, Michigan. The setting is pine and birch. At roughly 22 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Some 8.1 miles away sits West Branch, the nearest settlement. Further out sit Saint Helen (13 miles) and Skidway Lake (15 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Prior Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Ogemaw County include bluegill, rock bass, pink salmon, largemouth bass and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Work Prior Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 68°F and January near 17°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Prior Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Cummings Lake, 2.7 miles out. Where Prior Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.