Eliza Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Keweenaw County, Michigan. It sits at 643 feet above sea level. Small at around 14 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Ground here is low by Michigan standards. Nearest town is Laurium, 19 miles off. For a city, Thunder Bay is 81 miles off. Within a short run: Long Lake (0.6 miles), Owl Lake lies 2 miles on, Copper Falls Lake (2.5 miles), Mud Lake lies 2.5 miles on and Meadow Lake (2.9 miles). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Eliza Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Keweenaw County include rainbow smelt, yellow perch, white sucker, cisco and lake whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Eliza Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 63°F and January near 16°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Eliza Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. This sits inside Eagle Harbor Red Pine Dunes Nature Sanctuary, so read the reserve notices first. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Long Lake is 0.6 miles distant. For Eliza Lake in particular, ask before you travel.