Deer Lake Fishing in Houghton County, Michigan

• Overview

  Deer Lake lies in Houghton County, Michigan. Land around it is pine and birch. It measures about 31 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The bank runs about 1.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Michigan listings. For a base, Laurium sits 9.3 miles out. After that come Dollar Bay at 13 miles and Houghton at 15 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Deer Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Houghton County include rainbow smelt, bloater and cisco. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Deer Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 64°F; the cold one sits at 16°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. On Deer Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A protected area covers this ground, which usually means restrictions on access. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Rice Lake, 1.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Deer Lake before loading the car.