Red Dam Lake in Dickinson County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Dickinson County in Michigan is where Red Dam Lake sits. It stands 840 feet above sea level. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Norway lies 6.2 miles from the water. Niagara lies 9.8 miles off, Quinnesec another 10 miles. What else is close: Louise Lake sits 1 mile out, Hamilton Lake at 1.4 miles, Mary Lake sits 1.5 miles out, Wolf Lake at 4 miles and Lake Shannon sits 4.2 miles out. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Red Dam Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Dickinson County cover bluegill, walleye, yellow perch and brown trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Red Dam Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 13°F to 67°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Open water usually runs from mid April until about early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That shapes the year on Red Dam Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Louise Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Red Dam Lake.