Fishing Kempaien Lake in Chippewa County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Kempaien Lake in the Chippewa County part of Michigan. Elevation runs to 610 feet. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Chippewa County are larger. Start from Thessalon, 23 miles down the road. Further out sit Rogers City (38 miles) and Cheboygan (39 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Kempaien Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Chippewa County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, bloater and lake whitefish. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Kempaien Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 66°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. At Kempaien Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. 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. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Bear Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Kempaien Lake for certain.