Lost Lake Fishing Guide, Benzie County, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Lost Lake belongs to Benzie County. The water sits 850 feet up. At 7 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Benzie County standards. Kingsley lies 17 miles from the water. The big place round here is Green Bay, 106 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Lost Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Benzie County, recorded fish include yellow perch, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker and bluegill. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Lost Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 68°F; the cold one sits at 20°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Lost Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Grass Lake at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Lost Lake as something to verify.