Culhane Lake in Chippewa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Michigan, Culhane Lake belongs to Chippewa County. Everything around it is lake country bush. The water covers some 105 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 1.7 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Ground here is low by Michigan standards. You are 25 miles from Newberry. It is 198 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Culhane Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Chippewa County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish, alewife and lake trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Culhane Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 64°F and February at 16°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Culhane Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a ramp at Culhane Sfcg Boat Launch, half a mile out. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Bodi Lake, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Culhane Lake should be assumed from this page alone.