Fishing Smith Lake in Osceola County, Michigan

• Overview

  Smith Lake is an Osceola County water, Michigan side. Elevation runs to 1,053 feet. Surface area runs to about 9 acres — small enough to read in one session. Head to Evart, 4.2 miles away, for anything you forgot. Then Reed City, 12 miles, and Big Rapids, 14 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water. The character changes with the season more than with the year.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Osceola County names bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Smith Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 19°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about early April to mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Smith Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Custer Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Smith Lake are worth checking on the day.