Fishing at Welles Lake, Ogemaw County, Michigan

• Overview

  Welles Lake is an Ogemaw County water, Michigan side. What surrounds it is mixed forest. About 11 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The town to know is Sand Lake, 14 miles out. The big place round here is Lansing, 124 miles distant. Within a short drive: Beanshuttle Lakes within 0.8 miles, Harper Lake lies 1.1 miles on, Secord Lake within 1.2 miles, Dollar Lake lies 1.4 miles on and Marlbed Lake within 1.5 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Welles Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Ogemaw County include bluegill, rock bass, pink salmon and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The near bank of Welles Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 68°F; the cold one sits at 18°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. On average, early April opens the water and early December closes it again. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Welles Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. 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. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Beanshuttle Lakes is 0.8 miles off. Check the position on Welles Lake before loading the car.