McKenzie Bay Fishing near Negaunee, Michigan

• Overview

  McKenzie Bay lies in Marquette County, Michigan. It stands 614 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 24 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Michigan listings. Some 22 miles away sits Negaunee, the nearest settlement. Then Trowbridge Park, 22 miles, and Ishpeming, 22 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on McKenzie Bay

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Marquette County: white sucker, yellow perch and rainbow smelt. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. McKenzie Bay gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in July and bottom out at 17°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Expect McKenzie Bay to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Boat access is recorded roughly 0.9 miles away. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. A jetty or pier is mapped about 0.9 miles from here. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Lake Independence, 1.3 miles away. Check the position at McKenzie Bay before loading the car.