Bela Lake Fishing Guide, Ontonagon County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Bela Lake in Ontonagon County, Michigan. The water sits 1,572 feet up. It runs to roughly 69 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It ranks high for size among our Ontonagon County listings. Iron River at 24 miles is the nearest place to stop. Stambaugh, Iron River is 25 miles away, with Crystal Falls at 35 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Bela Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Ontonagon County cover yellow perch, pink salmon and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Bela Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 64°F, while January sits near 10°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Bela Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Feeder Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Bela Lake.