Gunpowder Lake Fishing in Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Gunpowder Lake is a Marquette County water, in Michigan. It stands 1,453 feet above sea level. At roughly 5 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Our Marquette County list holds plenty of bigger water. Some 1.4 miles away sits Negaunee, the nearest settlement. For a city, Green Bay is 137 miles off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Gunpowder Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Marquette County cover white sucker, yellow perch, rainbow smelt and smallmouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Gunpowder Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 14°F in January up to 65°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Gunpowder Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lake Minnie, 0.4 miles away. Rules at Gunpowder Lake are worth checking on the day.