Fishing Lant Lake in Mackinac County, Michigan

• Overview

  Lant Lake lies within the bounds of Mackinac County, Michigan. This is pine and birch ground. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It lies lower than most water we list in Michigan. The town to know is Saint Ignace, 2.5 miles out. Cheboygan lies 22 miles off, Harbor Springs another 34 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lant Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Mackinac County list white sucker, rainbow smelt and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Lant Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in July and bottom out at 16°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Lant Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Gamble Lake is 0.6 miles off. Signs at Lant Lake carry more weight than any list.