Ross Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Michigan, Ross Lake belongs to Gladwin County. Land around it is lake country bush. The water covers around 252 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Some 8.2 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Size puts it in the front rank of our Gladwin County list. Some 0.6 miles away sits Beaverton, the nearest settlement. Gladwin is 6.7 miles away, with Coleman at 9.8 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Ross Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Gladwin County records list bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Ross Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 20°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Ross Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Ross Lake Boat Launch provides a boat ramp about half a mile away. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Little Lake Twenty at 5.5 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Ross Lake in what we hold.