Cooper Lake Fishing in Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Marquette County, Michigan, sits Cooper Lake. The water sits 1,440 feet up. With some 34 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Compared with other Michigan water on our list, it sits high. West Ishpeming at 1.6 miles is the nearest place to stop. Ishpeming lies 2.2 miles off, Negaunee another 4.6 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cooper Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Marquette County: white sucker, yellow perch, rainbow smelt and smallmouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Cooper Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 64°F, while January sits near 14°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Cooper Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Rock Lake, 0.9 miles out. Rules at Cooper Lake are worth checking on the day.