Fishing at Little Star Lake, Lake County, Michigan

• Overview

  This water sits in Lake County, Michigan. Elevation runs to 837 feet. The water covers some 38 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 1.0 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Baldwin sits 1.1 miles from the bank. It is 66 miles to Grand Rapids, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Little Star Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Lake County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, white sucker, bluegill and brown trout among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Little Star Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 69°F and January near 20°F on the long-run figures. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Little Star Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Putman Lake, 0.4 miles out. Check the position at Little Star Lake before loading the car.