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

• Overview

  In Michigan, Scaup Lake falls inside Ogemaw County. It lies 879 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Ogemaw County. Start from West Branch, 14 miles down the road. Beyond it, Skidway Lake at 15 miles and Sand Lake at 17 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Scaup Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Ogemaw County names bluegill, rock bass, pink salmon and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Scaup Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 68°F at the top of summer and 17°F at the bottom of winter. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Scaup Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Devoe Lake Boat Launch is the mapped launch, some half a mile from here. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Grebe Lake, 0.6 miles out. None of that is settled for Scaup Lake in what we hold.