Fishing Foch Lakes

Foch Lakes offers excellent largemouth bass fishing that anglers consider superior to many other area waters, with bass up to 19 inches and potentially larger fish present. The 2014-2015 drawdown for dam renovation appears to have significantly improved the bluegill fishery - where anglers previously reported abundant but small bluegill, the lake now produces good numbers of 8-10 inch fish due to reduced density and increased predation pressure. Pumpkinseed show exceptional growth rates at +2.0 inches above state average, likely benefiting from the same reduced panfish competition. Northern pike reach impressive sizes up to 36 inches but grow below average and older fish are uncommon. The 85-acre flooding consists of two natural lake basins over 20 feet deep connected by shallow flooded timber areas - the deep basins have steep dropoffs separated by littoral sedges while the shallow zones offer ample aquatic vegetation and standing timber structure. Fish diversity is intentionally low with only seven species collected, creating an ideal predator-panfish balance without competing rough fish that plague most northern Michigan waters. The absence of abundant bullheads and suckers maintains the quality fishery structure. Located in state forest southwest of Onaway, the lake offers numerous dispersed camping sites and receives heavy recreational use. Water quality is good and the fishery continues recovering three years post-renovation, though panfish growth rates may slow as densities rebuild over time.