Bearfoot Lake Fishing Guide, Alger County, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Bearfoot Lake falls inside Alger County. It stands 909 feet above sea level. Roughly 32 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. For supplies, Newberry is 30 miles out. Further out sit Munising (30 miles) and Manistique (43 miles). More in the same country: McKay Lake sits 0.4 miles out, Carter Lake at 0.7 miles, Lake Nita sits 1 mile out, Cloverleaf Lake at 1.6 miles and Teal Lake sits 1.6 miles out. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Bearfoot Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Alger County: yellow perch, rainbow smelt, northern pike and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Bearfoot Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 64°F on average, January about 16°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Bearfoot Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. McKay Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Bearfoot Lake may have changed since it was mapped.