Long Lake in Alger County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Alger County, Michigan. The country here is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 20 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest place of any size is Munising, 27 miles away. The big place round here is Green Bay, 166 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Alger County, recorded fish include yellow perch, rainbow smelt and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Long Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 64°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about late April and return around early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Long Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Lambert Lake, 0.5 miles away. Treat access at Long Lake as something to verify.