Fishing at Woodward Lake, Wexford County, Michigan

• Overview

  Woodward Lake lies in Wexford County, in Michigan. It sits in pine and birch. At about 60 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.2 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Michigan listings. For a base, Cadillac sits 8 miles out. Then Manton, 10 miles, and Kingsley, 19 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Woodward Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Wexford County include bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, walleye and black crappie. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Woodward Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 67°F and January near 18°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Woodward Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Altman Lake at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Woodward Lake in what we hold.