Cranberry Lake Fishing in Montmorency County, Michigan

• Overview

  You will find Cranberry Lake in Montmorency County, Michigan. Everything around it is lake country bush. It runs to roughly 46 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 1.5 miles of margin, front to back. The closest town, Rogers City, is 22 miles distant. Lansing sits 169 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Montmorency County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, rock bass and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Cranberry Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 17°F in January up to 67°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Cranberry Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Grass Lake is 1.3 miles off. Check the position at Cranberry Lake before loading the car.