First Lake near Thessalon: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Chippewa County, Michigan, this is First Lake. The surface lies 571 feet up. At 465 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter runs near 5.9 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Chippewa County are bigger. The closest town, Thessalon, is 15 miles away. Greater Sudbury sits 129 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on First Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Chippewa County names rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish and alewife. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read First Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 65°F; the cold one sits at 15°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On First Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Second Lake is 1.6 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at First Lake for certain.