Guess the fish location based on lake type/layout.

[SWMIBASSER]

This is a real lake. I have fished it one time for just a few hours without much success.

It is a very small damned reservoir. Very stained water relative to other MI natural lakes.

The majority of the lake is 4-6 deep.

The entire bottom is a silty mucky bottom. Very little weed growth in the main lake (I'll get to that later)

Since it is a damned river it has a main river channel running through it, but there is very little depth change associated with it as it is silted in heavily.

There is a 'headwaters' to the main lake. There are several stumps, and it is overgrown with lillypads. There is a channel running through it to get to the main lake-otherwise much of the year it is solid lillypads.

If anyone has read this far I'm curious as to where you would look for bass during summer months.

From what I gather most concentrate on the main lake river channel. Which makes sense but again there isn't much of depth change there, and very little weedgrowth. And no stumps like are scattered throughout most of the "shoreline" areas.

This is a lake that a pretty prominant ESPN BASS personality lives on, and is only a few minutes away. ;D

[Mottfia]

The amount of change doesn't matter as much as the fact that there is a change. just because the lake's ledge is only say 6ft to 8 ft. They would still use it. Imagine what those poor guys in Florida have to deal with. Their breaklines are like a foot or some small amount life that. So I wouldn say that those ledges would be a good investment of your time in summer.

   Early morning I would like to see how productive those pads would be. If they show up strong I would stay with them for awhile.

   Personally I would like to see the head waters. If there is any depth and current then I would feel right at home. Its something about current that makes fish so much more active. Find a little ledge, point, or jetti in the current section and you could catch fish for awhile.

    I hope helps any.

Mottfia

   

[K_Mac]

I would start in the deepest channel near the pads, and work back towards the pads looking for irregularities of any kind. If I found anything I would thoroughly work that area. I would then work the edges of the pads pitching a jig, beaver, or brushhog. Any pads isolated from the main mass would get special attention.

I would also carefully work back from the dam exploring the main channel. A good topo map will save a lot of time. Even though I have a good GPS/Sonar unit with a good maps installed, I still like a paper copy to give an overview while searching. In a shallow lake like this it doesn't take much to hold fish. I fish a shallow power plant lake that has a few little humps and stumps. If you can find those spots, you probably can catch fish, sometimes a bunch of fish. Don't rely on GPS to keep you located on the spot. A marker or two can make a huge difference. A Carolina rig is my go-to; others use crankbaits.

Advice is often worth what you pay for it. Just my rambling thoughts. Good luck.

[SWMIBASSER]

The area full of pads is generally a little shallow and warmer. And there are LOTS of pads away from the main channel so they aren't receiving much current.

One of the things I've always wondered is if those pads offer enough oxygen to hold fish?

And faced with huge expanses of thick pads, where would you start?

[Big Bait Fishing]

that sounds like a nice little spot you got there !!! i love those spots for frogging in all those pads  . try punching the mats in shady spots .....

[Oscar O.]

sounds like a lake that i would love to spend the day frogging! any fish miss the frog, follow with a punch rig or something like that. I'd leave that to my buddy though. I love frogging!

[SWMIBASSER]

To clarify the pads are the long stem type, with the actual canopy being above water 6-12"

[SWMIBASSER]

This is a picture of the lake. The black outlined area is completely overgrown with pads. The yellow outlined is heavy with pads but navigable.

[Chris]

Is up north of the triangles on the left the in coming river and where the pads are on the right the out going river or is it switched?

[SWMIBASSER]

Is up north of the triangles on the left the in coming river and where the pads are on the right the out going river or is it switched?

In that picture it appears there is a pool or something just to the right of the outlined areas. That is a field or something. That end is the incoming, and the other end is the dammed end.

While there is current, it is a slow moving current.

[Chris]

is this the channel?

[SWMIBASSER]

is this the channel?

Yep that's the basic idea. I need to get out on the lake this coming year.

If I can find a reliable partner I want to join the local NBAA chapter and they fish this lake more often than the other three in their series.

Mark Zona has a house on it

[Paul Roberts]

With that convoluted a shoreline, there's a lot more going on in there than you describe. Enjoy it.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

With that convoluted a shoreline, there's a lot more going on in there than you describe. Enjoy it.

No doubt.  That lower area has to have some deeper water with something other than a muck bottom.

Get your Carolina Rig or heavy jig out there and drag the bottom

[tnbassfisher]

I would start by hitting those pads early in the morning.