Cottenham Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Ontonagon County, Michigan. Land around it is mixed forest. Small at around 10 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Michigan listings. The closest town, Iron River, is 25 miles distant. Green Bay sits 137 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Cottenham Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Ontonagon County list yellow perch, pink salmon and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Cottenham Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 64°F on average, January about 10°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Cottenham Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, McPherson Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Check the position on Cottenham Lake before loading the car.