Fishing at Betchler Lakes, Chippewa County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Chippewa County, Michigan, this is Betchler Lakes. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. With some 58 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.9 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Newberry, is 28 miles distant. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 188 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Betchler Lakes

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Chippewa County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish and alewife. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Betchler Lakes the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 64°F in July and bottoms out near 14°F in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Betchler Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Arbutus Lake sits 1.3 miles off and takes the overflow. For Betchler Lakes in particular, ask before you travel.