Kennedy Lake in Iron County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Michigan, Kennedy Lake falls inside Iron County. It sits at 1,299 feet above sea level. It measures about 81 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Roughly 1.8 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Nearest town is Crystal Falls, 4.8 miles off. Green Bay sits 106 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Kennedy Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Iron County include brown trout, yellow perch, northern pike and walleye. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Kennedy Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 65°F, the coldest about 10°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Kennedy Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Leather Leaf Lake, 0.4 miles out. Check the position on Kennedy Lake before loading the car.