Withey Lake Fishing near Skidway Lake, Michigan

• Overview

  This water sits in Ogemaw County, Michigan. It stands 856 feet above sea level. At roughly 23 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Supplies mean a trip to Skidway Lake, 7.8 miles off. For a city, Lansing is 111 miles off. Neighbouring water: Nester Lake 1.1 miles away, Little Williams Lake after 2.5 miles, Big Williams Lake 2.5 miles away, Fish Lake after 2.5 miles and King Lake 2.7 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Withey Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Ogemaw County include bluegill, rock bass, pink salmon and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Withey Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 68°F and January about 18°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. The water is typically free of ice between early April and early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Withey Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Nester Lake is 1.1 miles off. Nothing on Withey Lake should be assumed from this page alone.