Lake Leelanau Fishing near Greilickville, Michigan

• Overview

  Leelanau County, Michigan, is where Lake Leelanau sits. The country here is lake country bush. The outline measures near 25 miles, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. Of the waters listed here in Leelanau County, this is the largest. Start from Greilickville, 6.5 miles down the road. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 115 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Leelanau

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Leelanau County: alewife, rock bass and yellow perch. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Lake Leelanau the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 69°F and January at 21°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lake Leelanau.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Boats go in at Solon Township Park Boat Ramp, roughly half a mile from the water. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. Facilities include toilets around 0.9 miles from here. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Cedar Lake, 5.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Lake Leelanau.