Chabeneau Lake Fishing Guide, Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Marquette County, Michigan, sits Chabeneau Lake. The water sits 1,404 feet up. Around 63 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 1.6 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Michigan listings. The nearest town is West Ishpeming, 12 miles away. After that come Ishpeming at 13 miles and Negaunee at 15 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Chabeneau Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Chabeneau Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 12°F in January and 64°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Chabeneau Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Little Chabeneau Lake, 0.4 miles away. Check the position at Chabeneau Lake before loading the car.