Old Headquarters Lake Fishing in Luce County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Luce County end of Michigan holds Old Headquarters Lake. It lies 705 feet above sea level. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Newberry lies 19 miles from the water. Green Bay sits 186 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Old Headquarters Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Luce County, recorded fish include yellow perch, white sucker, walleye and pink salmon. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Old Headquarters Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 64°F and January about 16°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Old Headquarters Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Launching is at Perch Lake Sfcg Boat Launch, about half a mile away. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Perch Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Old Headquarters Lake in what we hold.