Fishing Little Blue Lake in Crawford County, Michigan

• Overview

  Little Blue Lake lies in Crawford County, in Michigan. The setting is pine and birch on every side. The water measures roughly 9 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest town is Mancelona, 11 miles off. Grayling is 13 miles away, with Kalkaska at 15 miles. Close by you also have: Bass Lake 0.4 miles away, Blue Lake within 0.5 miles, Poplar Lake 0.9 miles away, North Blue Lake within 1.1 miles and East Indian Lake 1.2 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Little Blue Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Crawford County, recorded fish include white sucker, rock bass and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Little Blue Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 17°F and July at about 67°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Little Blue Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Bass Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Little Blue Lake carry more weight than any list.