Island Lake Fishing in Luce County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Luce County, Michigan, this is Island Lake. What surrounds it is lake country bush. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Newberry at 11 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 186 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. Nearby alternatives: Laurel Lake some 2.7 miles off, Quintus Lake 3.8 miles away, Coyote Lake some 3.9 miles off, Gimlet Lake 4.5 miles away and Roy Lake some 5.1 miles off. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Island Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name yellow perch, white sucker and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Island Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 64°F, the coldest about 15°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early December in an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Island Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely 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. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Laurel Lake, 2.7 miles away. None of that is settled for Island Lake in what we hold.