Fishing Rat Lake in Ogemaw County, Michigan

• Overview

  Rat Lake is listed under Ogemaw County, Michigan. The bank is 889 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. For supplies, Sand Lake is 14 miles out. For a city, Lansing is 122 miles off. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply. Regulars know where the fish sit; visitors have to find out.

• Where to Fish on Rat Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Ogemaw County include bluegill, rock bass, pink salmon and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Rat Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 17°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Rat Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Little Au Sable Lake is 0.4 miles off. The position on Rat Lake is worth confirming on the day.