Lilly Lake Fishing Guide, Mackinac County, Michigan

• Overview

  This water sits in Mackinac County, Michigan. Everything around it is mixed forest. It measures about 38 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 1.0 miles on foot. The town to know is Newberry, 21 miles out. Manistique is 25 miles away, with Munising at 45 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Lilly Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Mackinac County include white sucker, rainbow smelt and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Lilly Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 16°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Lilly Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Long Lake, 1.1 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Lilly Lake.