Lake Marina Fishing Guide, Cheboygan County, Michigan

• Overview

  Lake Marina is set in Cheboygan County, Michigan. It sits at 574 feet above sea level. At 22 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is low-lying compared with other Michigan water we list. Indian River sits 1.5 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Cheboygan is 16 miles away, with Petoskey at 18 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Marina

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Cheboygan County include yellow perch, rock bass, white sucker and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lake Marina a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 18°F and July at about 68°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Lake Marina around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. A pier 140 yards from here gives a platform over deeper water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Cochran Lake at 3 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Lake Marina for certain.