Little Island Lake in Iosco County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Iosco County end of Michigan holds Little Island Lake. The surface lies 774 feet up. The water covers some 64 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.3 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. For a base, Sand Lake sits 1.4 miles out. Tawas City is 9 miles away, with East Tawas at 9.8 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Little Island Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Iosco County include rock bass, bluegill and pink salmon. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Work Little Island Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 19°F in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Island Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Round Lake Boat Launch is the mapped launch, some half a mile from here. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Floyd Lake, 0.4 miles away. Treat access at Little Island Lake as something to verify.