Long Lake Fishing in Benzie County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Benzie County, Michigan, sits Long Lake. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. It measures some 329 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The edge covers about 3.4 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. Size puts it in the front rank of our Benzie County list. The closest town, Frankfort, is 5.3 miles away. Green Bay sits 92 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Benzie County names yellow perch, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker and bluegill. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Long Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 68°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Long Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. The water borders Embayment Lakes Nature Preserve, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Round Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Long Lake before loading the car.