Fishing at Loon Lake, Kalkaska County, Michigan

• Overview

  Loon Lake lies within the bounds of Kalkaska County, Michigan. It sits at 1,017 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 18 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. For a base, Kalkaska sits 4.3 miles out. Then Rapid City, 12 miles, and Mancelona, 17 miles. Within a short drive: Mud Lake 1 mile off, Bass Lake at 1.2 miles, Butler Lake 3.1 miles off, Price Lake at 3.5 miles and East Lake 3.7 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name yellow perch, white sucker, rock bass and largemouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Loon Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 19°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing Loon Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Mud Lake, 1 mile out. Treat access at Loon Lake as something to verify.