Cooke Dam Pond Fishing
A 1,636-acre Michigan pond in Iosco County.
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A first look at Cooke Dam Pond
Cooke Dam Pond spreads across 1,636 acres in Iosco County, by the EGLE inland lake layer. About 10 miles separates Cooke Dam Pond from Sand Lake. On the Lower Peninsula, it belongs to the Southern Lake Huron Management Unit. Ecoregion Northern Lakes and Forests; basin Northwestern Lake Huron.
Species found since 1970 include crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, sunfish and walleye. EGLE satellite clarity: about 13.3 feet (2023). The MDNR names it a Family Friendly Fishing water.
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MDNR sources behind the Cooke Dam Pond list: Fish Atlas surveys since 1970, stocking events and access site lists.
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, MDNR stocking table, checked October 2026. Older collections are history, not a current survey.
Public launches on Cooke Dam Pond
Launching on Cooke Dam Pond is not mapped; nearby ramps follow.
Shore and pier access at Cooke Dam Pond
- Cooke Pond fishing site, Tawas/Oscodabank fishing area, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Launch sites a short tow from Cooke Dam Pond
- Lower Foote Dam Boat AccessAu Sable River, 9 miles east
- Floyd Lake Boat AccessFloyd Lake, 9 miles south
- Long Lake Boat Access near LuptonLong Lake, 12 miles west
- Van Etten Lake State Forest Campground Boat AccessVan Etten Lake, 12 miles east
MDNR Parks and Recreation boat access sites and MDNR fishing sites, checked October 2026.
How clear Cooke Dam Pond runs
The Cooke Dam Pond clarity bars are EGLE July to September satellite averages, shown in feet.
The 2023 chlorophyll a estimate is 3.2 micrograms per liter.
EGLE Michigan Inland Lakes Water Clarity layer (Landsat, July to September), checked October 2026. Depth is not published here: the layer depth fields are unreliable.
Harvest rules on Cooke Dam Pond
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 5 in any combination; minimum 14 inches | Possession: Sat. before Memorial Day – Dec. 31; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Walleye (Lower Peninsula) | 5; minimum 15 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Northern pike (Lower Peninsula) | 2; minimum 24 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Muskellunge | Only 1 per angler per license year (April 1 – March 31); mandatory harvest registration within 24 hours; minimum 42 inches (46, 50 or 38 inches on listed waters) | Possession: 1st Sat. in June – March 15; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Yellow perch | 25 | Open all year |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 in any combination of the listed species | Open all year |
| Channel catfish | 10; minimum 12 inches | Open all year |
| Flathead catfish | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open all year |
| White bass | 10 | Open all year |
| Cisco and whitefish | 5 in any combination | Open all year |
| Burbot | 5 | Open all year |
| Trout in unclassified lakes | 5, no more than 3 of which may be 15 inches or greater; minimum 8 inches | Open all year |
These are the Lower Peninsula inland rows that cover Cooke Dam Pond.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), statewide tables and county exceptions, checked October 2026.
Recent fish plants in Cooke Dam Pond
From 2024 to 2025 the table shows 2 plants and 82,955 fish for Cooke Dam Pond, mainly walleye.
| Date | Species | Strain | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 26, 2025 | Walleye | Muskegon | 4.1 in | 80,045 |
| October 29, 2024 | Muskellunge | Great Lakes | 23.4 in | 2,910 |
MDNR Fish Stocking Report table, January 2024 to October 2026. Michigan stocking.
Sizing up Cooke Dam Pond against its neighbors
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Clarity ft | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooke Dam Pond | 1,636 | 0 | 13.3 | 8 | |
| Foote Dam Pond | 6 miles east | 1,696 | 0 | 14.9 | 4 |
| Round Lake, Iosco County | 9 miles south | 90 | 0 | 8.5 | 0 |
| Floyd Lake | 9 miles south | 41 | 1 | 10.6 | 0 |
| Sand Lake, Iosco County | 10 miles south | 245 | 0 | 9.7 | 0 |
| Jose Lake | 11 miles west | 122 | 0 | 14.1 | 0 |
EGLE inland lake layer, MDNR access sites and Fish Atlas.
Close by Cooke Dam Pond
Neighboring lakes to Cooke Dam Pond
- Foote Dam Pond6 miles east
- Round Lake, Iosco County9 miles south
- Floyd Lake9 miles south
- Sand Lake, Iosco County10 miles south
- Jose Lake11 miles west
Live bait and lures near Cooke Dam Pond
- Dam Storebait and tackle shop, Oscoda, 3 miles
- Long Lake Marine Servicemarina, Hale, 11 miles
- Gordon's Live Baitbait and tackle shop, Hale, 13 miles
- Mars by the Baybait and tackle shop, East Tawas, 13 miles
- Pcsoutdoorsbait and tackle shop, Oscoda, 14 miles
- Northeast Michigan Marinemarina, Oscoda, 14 miles
Guided trips on Cooke Dam Pond
- Termar Charter Servicecharter, Au Gres, (989) 876-8318
Overnight stops close to Cooke Dam Pond
- Sand Lake9 miles
- East Tawas13 miles
- Au Sable14 miles
Where Cooke Dam Pond sits by county
- Iosco Countyseat: Tawas City
A Piscifun setup for a day on Cooke Dam Pond
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Fish an angler meets at Cooke Dam Pond
Photo: Engbretson, Eric / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: Nick Loveland, CC0
Photo: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Eric Engbretson for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Cooke Dam Pond questions Michigan anglers ask
In which Michigan county is Cooke Dam Pond?
Find it in Iosco County, Southern Lake Huron Management Unit, about 10 miles from Sand Lake.
How many acres does the EGLE layer credit to Cooke Dam Pond?
About 1,636 acres.
How many public launches reach Cooke Dam Pond?
None is mapped on it; nearby launches are listed above.
Which fish has the MDNR found in Cooke Dam Pond?
Records show crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, sunfish, walleye and yellow perch.
Which limits apply on Cooke Dam Pond?
Walleye (Lower Peninsula): 5; minimum 15 inches; season Last Sat. in April – March 15.
What does a license cost to fish Cooke Dam Pond?
Anglers 17 and older carry a Michigan all-species fishing license: $26 a year for residents, $76 for nonresidents, $11 for seniors or $10 for one day.
How deep does sunlight reach in Cooke Dam Pond?
EGLE estimated 13.3 feet in 2023.
Which store on our Michigan list is closest to Cooke Dam Pond?
Try Dam Store, roughly 3 miles off.
Does the MDNR plant fish in Cooke Dam Pond?
The latest MDNR plants on file (2025): 80,045 walleye.
Haul the boat to Cooke Dam Pond
Check the limits above, then choose a launch.