Dry Lakes in Chippewa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Dry Lakes is one of the Chippewa County waters in Michigan. It stands 702 feet above sea level. With some 34 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. For a base, Newberry sits 23 miles out. Green Bay sits 196 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Dry Lakes

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Chippewa County records list rainbow smelt, bloater and lake whitefish among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The shape of Dry Lakes rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 64°F and February about 16°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan around that when you fish Dry Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Muskrat Lakes, 0.9 miles out. Nothing on Dry Lakes should be assumed from this page alone.