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

• Overview

  This water sits in Alger County, Michigan. The ground around here is pine and birch. At 21 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. You are 28 miles from Munising. Newberry lies 32 miles off, Manistique another 42 miles. Close by you also have: Teal Lake after 0.8 miles, Cloverleaf Lake roughly 1 mile, Pelican Lake after 1.6 miles, Loon Lake roughly 1.7 miles and Pickerel Lake after 1.8 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Mallard Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Alger County include yellow perch, rainbow smelt and northern pike. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Treat Mallard Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 64°F in July and bottom out at 16°F in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Mallard Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Teal Lake is 0.8 miles off. Confirm access to Mallard Lake locally before you travel.