Fishing Mellen Lake in Alger County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Alger County, Michigan, sits Mellen Lake. The land about it is rolling bush. At roughly 10 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Alger County list. Newberry sits 25 miles from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Munising at 33 miles and Manistique at 41 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Mellen Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Alger County include yellow perch, rainbow smelt and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Mellen Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 16°F in January to roughly 64°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Mellen Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, East Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Nothing on Mellen Lake should be assumed from this page alone.