# Looking for Foote Dam Pond results...



## BassMaster16

Hey guys. I'm headed to Oscoda and the Foote Dam Pond this weekend and I have never fished it before. If possible, could you guys help me out and give me any tips? I am mainly looking to catch smallies, eyes, pike, etc. Really anything I can catch. Salmon would be a bonus but I don't think they're in there right now. Ill have my 17' bass boat so any info at all would be appreciated. Thanks a lot.
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## FowlervilleBuckSlayer

hey foote dam pond is really good fishing if you get out there at the right time. was there on the fourth of july weekend. if your looking to catch smallies you will have no problem with that caught about ten in one hour while trolling. the walleye are really hard to find. we found on good spot. me and my buddy where trolling there with hot n tots. we picked up one 27 inch walleye which im sure there is more there since they run in schools. so that night we went back to the same spot and we had 2-3 eyes on but there got off. i would try trolling and also jigging. lots of boat traffic that weekend stopped us from fishing that much. we trolled with hot n tots but im sure any deep diver would do just find. a good spot i would try is by the dam... there is a really big hole there probaly alot of fish laying down in there.. try throwing and crawler harnnes or a bomber. with the pike we only caught one and it was only 22 inches and it was from shore with a rapala jointed minnow bait but im sure there are some big boys there. good luck out there hope this helped.


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## BassMaster16

That definitely helped. Thanks a lot. Any results or hints from anyone else would also be greatly appreciated. Also, does anyone know the depths or the stump content around the Foote Dam Pond area? I would like to get an idea before I drive 35mph across to spots. Thanks.


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## FowlervilleBuckSlayer

the depth is good. very good in spots. lots of speed boats where flying across the lake. there are a few sallow spots that you have to be carefull about espically when you get in the coves there are some stumps sticking out.


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## TJHUNTER

you should have no problem hitting the smallies up by the dam from what i heard. let us know how you did when you get back!


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## Weekender#1

you may want to fish up at Cooke Pond the next impoundment up from Foote, just up river road to Sid town road ramp right there. Not that the fish are any bigger or more but way, way less boat traffic, rare to see a skier/tuber you generally have bays or large sections of the lake to yourself, just a suggestion. cooke is loaded with pike, we have landed many bass and panfish also. But I wish you luck no matter what impoundment you fish. If you are feeling real frisky I would go up to Loud pond, about 8 - 10 years ago they started stocking MUSKY. No one fishes it. They put them in to control the carp and suckers.


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## R_T

PM sent


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## jigworm

We put in at the Foote launch and run all the way up to Cooke Dam then float it back down. Three of the biggest smallies I've ever caught came from up there. Outside bends in the river, black grubs on an orange jig head. Nice crappies and a couple decent pike per float to boot. Running the lake is no problem but take it easy when you get up into the river.


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## BassMaster16

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## BassMaster16

Thanks a lot guys for all the input. As of right now (friday night), I fished this morning and only caught one 16 inch walleye trolling with a harness, and then one 12 inch smallie tonight. That's it. I was fishing around the campground area cove because that's where I seemed to be marking the most fish, but I did go check out the dam area. I just wasn't familiar with fishing the depths over there (30-100ft). Maybe Sat morning ill head up the river to cook dam and try my luck. If anyone else has advice also, it is greatly appreciated. Ill post another report when I finish up the trip.
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## BassMaster16

Thanks a lot guys for all the input. As of right now (friday night), I fished this morning and only caught one 16 inch walleye trolling with a harness, and then one 12 inch smallie tonight. That's it. I was fishing around the campground area cove because that's where I seemed to be marking the most fish, but I did go check out the dam area. I just wasn't familiar with fishing the depths over there (30-100ft). Maybe Sat morning ill head up the river to cook dam and try my luck. If anyone else has advice also, it is greatly appreciated. Ill post another report soon.
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## BassMaster16

Hey there guys. Well, I didn't do all that great on my trip this last weekend to the Foote Dam Pond. Besides the 1 keeper walleye the first day, I only caught maybe 4-5 little smallies. I was extremely dissapointed since I was up there for almost 4 days, and fished a lot of the pond/river with not so great results, but then again, that's fishing. Saturday, I drove all the way from foote pond to the cook dam and drifted several portions of the river. Especially along some rocky bottoms and dropoffs where I would have figured the smallies would have been thriving, but apparently were not. I guess I just couldn't seem to find them. On the pond, I trolled with husky jerks and crawler harnesses. For the river I mainly threw spinner baits and some senko's. Hopefully I will have better luck next time. Thanks again guys for all the helpful input!


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## TJHUNTER

well how did you do saturday? i might be heading up this weekend maybe fish at 5 channels with the kayak


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## ausable_steelhead

The ponds can be tough, especially for someone new to fishing them. I've never fished Foote, but fished Cooke pond and below it's dam alot when I was young. Some of the best fishing and most fun I had was drifting the river below Cooke dam. 

My very first fish from that stretch was an 18" smallie on a white gitzit. We used to catch very large numbers of smallmouths, with several in the 17-20inch range and some BIG pike. We used leeches on straight 4lb, and just enough weight to tick bottom. We'd throw lures in the oxbows and side channels for pike/largemouths, and a few smallies. 

Then lots of people started fishing it, more and more each year, keeping lots of bass, including under-sized fish. The tubers and jet skiers also showed up, ripping all up and down the river, and it went right to ****. I haven't fished it in YEARS, but the mid-late 90's were insane in that stretch. Not sure how she fishes nowadays, but man did I have fun back then.


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## Bulletproof

Foote Pond used to be a fantastic fishery. That was about 20-25+ years ago. I don't waste my time there anymore. Not to say you can catch fish there, but the glory days of huge black crappie, toad smallmouth and monster pike are over.


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