Bass Lake in Leelanau County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bass Lake lies within the bounds of Leelanau County, Michigan. Elevation runs to 604 feet. Surface area is around 93 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. It is low-lying compared with other Michigan water we list. The nearest town is Greilickville, 15 miles away. After that come Traverse City at 17 miles and Elk Rapids at 23 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Bass Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Leelanau County include alewife, rock bass, yellow perch and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Bass Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 22°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Bass Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is a slipway on the shore, half a mile from the water we list. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, School Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Bass Lake for certain.