Fife Lake Fishing in Grand Traverse County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, sits Fife Lake. Everything around it is pine and birch. This is sizeable water at about 598 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs about 3.7 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. On our Grand Traverse County list it sits near the top for size. Kingsley sits 9.5 miles from the bank. It is 112 miles to Grand Rapids, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Fife Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Grand Traverse County include rock bass, yellow perch, white sucker, smallmouth bass and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Fife Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 19°F in January and 67°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Fife Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Pickerel Lake, 0.7 miles away. Nothing on Fife Lake should be assumed from this page alone.