Batty Doe Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Mackinac County in Michigan is where Batty Doe Lake sits. Everything around it is mixed forest. The water covers some 115 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 1.7 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is among the larger waters listed here for Mackinac County. Some 23 miles away sits Manistique, the nearest settlement. Beyond it, Newberry at 28 miles and Munising at 50 miles.

• Where to Fish on Batty Doe Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Mackinac County include white sucker, rainbow smelt, yellow perch, rock bass and alewife. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Batty Doe Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 16°F in January up to 65°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Batty Doe Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Sand Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Batty Doe Lake if anything is unclear.