Elginor Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Elginor Lake is one of the Houghton County waters in Michigan. What surrounds it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 12 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Michigan listings. L'Anse is the closest place, 21 miles off. Thunder Bay sits 132 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Elginor Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Houghton County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, bloater, cisco, yellow perch and lake whitefish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Elginor Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 11°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It holds true on Elginor Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Mill Lake is 0.4 miles distant. The position on Elginor Lake is worth confirming on the day.