Clear Lake in Marquette County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Clear Lake is one of the Marquette County listings for Michigan. It stands 1,752 feet above sea level. At 19 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is high ground by Michigan standards. The closest town, L'Anse, is 21 miles away. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 130 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch and rainbow smelt. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Clear Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 63°F and January about 11°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Clear Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Island Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Clear Lake before loading the car.