Bagley Lake in Grand Traverse County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bagley Lake lies in Grand Traverse County, in Michigan. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Grand Traverse County are larger. Elk Rapids is the closest place, 5.8 miles off. Bellaire follows at 13 miles, then Rapid City at 13 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Bagley Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Grand Traverse County include rock bass, yellow perch and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Bagley Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 68°F, the coldest about 22°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Bagley Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Picnic facilities are recorded some half a mile out. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Prescott Lake, 0.8 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Bagley Lake for certain.