Fishing at Dukes Lake, Chippewa County, Michigan

• Overview

  Michigan holds Dukes Lake, in Chippewa County. Everything around it is pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. Some 17 miles away sits Sault Ste. Marie, the nearest settlement. Greater Sudbury sits 165 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Dukes Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Chippewa County include rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish, alewife and lake trout. The county list is broader than any single water. The near bank of Dukes Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 13°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Time your trip to Dukes Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Kinross Lake is 3 miles distant. The position on Dukes Lake is worth confirming on the day.