McLavey Lake in Cheboygan County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for McLavey Lake in Cheboygan County, Michigan. It lies 801 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 24 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Some 15 miles away sits Indian River, the nearest settlement. After that come Gaylord at 24 miles and Cheboygan at 26 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on McLavey Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Cheboygan County records list yellow perch, rock bass and white sucker among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On McLavey Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 67°F, the coldest about 17°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On McLavey Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Dorsy Lake is 0.8 miles off. Check the current arrangement for McLavey Lake.