Fishing at Chickenbone Lake, Keweenaw County, Michigan

• Overview

  Chickenbone Lake is one of the Keweenaw County waters in Michigan. Land around it is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 225 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The perimeter runs near 4.9 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It ranks high for size among our Keweenaw County listings. The nearest place of any size is East End, 33 miles away. Then Thunder Bay, 33 miles, and Vickers Park, 33 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Chickenbone Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name rainbow smelt, yellow perch, white sucker, cisco and lake whitefish. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Work Chickenbone Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 63°F and January near 12°F on the long-run figures. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Chickenbone Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Lake Livermore, 0.3 miles away. Treat Chickenbone Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.