Croy Lake Fishing near Mancelona, Michigan

• Overview

  Croy Lake sits in Kalkaska County, out in Michigan. The country here is lake country bush. At roughly 2 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is a small entry by Kalkaska County standards. The nearest town is Mancelona, 6.2 miles away. Then Kalkaska, 6.9 miles, and Rapid City, 9.4 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Croy 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. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Kalkaska County include yellow perch, white sucker, rock bass and largemouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Croy Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 18°F in January and 67°F in July. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Croy Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Rainbow Lake is 0.4 miles off. Treat Croy Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.