Fishing Ess Lake in Montmorency County, Michigan

• Overview

  Ess Lake belongs to Montmorency County, Michigan. What surrounds it is pine and birch. At about 114 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 1.8 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It ranks high for size among our Montmorency County listings. The nearest place of any size is Lewiston, 22 miles away. Rogers City is 23 miles and Alpena 27 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ess Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Montmorency County include largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, rock bass and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Take Ess Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Ess Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A ramp at Ess Lake Boat Launch is mapped half a mile away. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Gassel Lake is 0.7 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Ess Lake.