Intermediate Lake Fishing near Bellaire, Michigan

• Overview

  Intermediate Lake sits within Antrim County in Michigan. The water sits 594 feet up. The water covers around 2.4 sq miles, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Some 14 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Size puts it in the front rank of our Antrim County list. For supplies, Bellaire is 3.5 miles out. For a city, Green Bay is 141 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Intermediate Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Antrim County include brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Work Intermediate Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 20°F in January up to 68°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Intermediate Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Mud Lake is 2.7 miles off. Rules at Intermediate Lake are worth checking on the day.