Fourth Lake in Gogebic County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Fourth Lake lies in Gogebic County, in Michigan. The water sits 1,739 feet up. This is a tiny water, and one quiet approach covers all of it. It is a small entry by Gogebic County standards. Some 17 miles away sits Iron River, the nearest settlement. Stambaugh, Iron River is 17 miles away, with Eagle River at 20 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Fourth Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Gogebic County records list bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, largemouth bass and white sucker among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Fourth Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 65°F and January about 9°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Fourth Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Elk Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Fourth Lake for certain.