Hughes Lake Fishing Guide, Alcona County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Alcona County end of Michigan holds Hughes Lake. It stands 1,125 feet above sea level. Small at around 21 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. You are 11 miles from Mio. Lansing sits 132 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. More in the same country: O'Brien Lake (3.7 miles), Three Lakes at 4.1 miles, Emley Lake (4.3 miles), Alcona Dam Pond at 4.9 miles and Carp Lake (5.8 miles). The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Hughes Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Alcona County records list white sucker, rock bass and yellow perch among the fish reported. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The near bank of Hughes Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Hughes Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, O'Brien Lake is 3.7 miles distant. Check the position at Hughes Lake before loading the car.