Boot Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Boot Lake is listed under Chippewa County, Michigan. The water sits 607 feet up. It runs to roughly 67 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 1.5 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It lies lower than most water we list in Michigan. You are 21 miles from Thessalon. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 137 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Boot Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Chippewa County include rainbow smelt, bloater and lake whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Boot Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 66°F and January about 16°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Boot Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Baileys Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Boot Lake as something to verify.