Fishing at Hackett Lake, Presque Isle County, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Hackett Lake belongs to Presque Isle County. The country here is lake country bush. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Presque Isle County list. 20 miles away sits Rogers City, the nearest town. Greater Sudbury sits 174 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hackett Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Presque Isle County records list rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and lake whitefish among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Hackett Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 67°F and January near 17°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Hackett Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Loon Lake, 2 miles out. Confirm access to Hackett Lake locally before you travel.