Fishing at Crotch Lake, Iron County, Michigan

• Overview

  Crotch Lake sits within Iron County in Michigan. It lies 1,368 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 35 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Compared with other Michigan water on our list, it sits high. 10 miles away sits Crystal Falls, the nearest town. Further out sit Stambaugh, Iron River (24 miles) and Iron River (24 miles). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Crotch Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Iron County include brown trout, yellow perch, northern pike, walleye and white sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Read Crotch Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 11°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Crotch Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lake Ellen, 1.1 miles away. Nothing on Crotch Lake should be assumed from this page alone.