Hop Lake Fishing in Houghton County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Houghton County, Hop Lake is a Michigan water. It lies 1,391 feet above sea level. On water this small, stealth matters more than range. On size it sits at the modest end of our Houghton County list. Nearest place of any size is Baraga, 21 miles away. For a city, Thunder Bay is 129 miles off. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Hop Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name rainbow smelt, bloater, cisco and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Hop Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 11°F in January and 65°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Hop Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Skip Lake, 0.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Hop Lake should be assumed from this page alone.