Fishing at Chief Lake, Manistee County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Chief Lake in Manistee County, Michigan. It sits in mixed forest country. It measures about 118 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline comes to about 2.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Size puts it in the front rank of our Manistee County list. Nearest place of any size is Manistee, 12 miles away. Beyond it, Frankfort at 21 miles and Scottville at 28 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Chief Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Manistee County cover alewife, rainbow smelt, bloater, johnny darter and lake trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Chief Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 21°F and July at about 69°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Chief Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lake Emma sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Chief Lake should be assumed from this page alone.