Cousineau Lake in Delta County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cousineau Lake stands in Delta County, Michigan. This is mixed forest country. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Ground here is low by Michigan standards. 14 miles away sits Manistique, the nearest town. It is 119 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Cousineau Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Delta County cover white sucker, alewife, rock bass, yellow perch and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Cousineau Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 15°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Cousineau Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. MDOT Public Carpool Parking offers parking about half a mile from the water. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Warner Lake at 1.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Cousineau Lake before loading the car.