James Lake Fishing Guide, Manistee County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for James Lake in the Manistee County part of Michigan. The bank is 751 feet above sea level. With some 26 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Manistee sits 13 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Green Bay, 94 miles distant. Close by you have: Watson Lake 1.6 miles away, Lake Emma just 1.7 miles, Chief Lake 2.2 miles away, Gordon Lake just 3.2 miles and Bear Lake 4.1 miles away. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on James Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Manistee County: alewife, rainbow smelt and bloater. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At James Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 69°F and January near 21°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. On James Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Watson Lake is 1.6 miles off. Check the position at James Lake before loading the car.