Fishing Ben-way Lake in Antrim County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Ben-way Lake in Antrim County, Michigan. The setting is lake country bush on every side. The water covers some 127 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 2.4 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Michigan listings. Nearest town is East Jordan, 7.4 miles off. Bellaire follows at 8.8 miles, then Boyne City at 14 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Ben-way Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Antrim County: brook trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Ben-way Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 67°F, the coldest about 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Ben-way Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The slipway at Wilson Lake Boat Launch is 0.9 miles away. You will be walking about 0.9 miles from the nearest car park. Facilities run to toilets 0.9 miles from the water. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Hanley Lake at 1.5 miles is the nearest alternative. For Ben-way Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.