Charles Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Charles Lake stands in Marquette County, Michigan. This is rolling bush ground. It runs to roughly 52 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Bank access stretches around 1.1 miles in total. Compared with other Michigan water on our list, it sits high. L'Anse sits 18 miles from the bank. It is 128 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Charles Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Marquette County include white sucker, yellow perch and rainbow smelt. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Charles Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 11°F and July at about 63°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Charles Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Lake Alice is 0.7 miles off. Confirm before you fish Charles Lake.