Oldman Lake near Sault Ste. Marie: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Oldman Lake in the Chippewa County part of Michigan. It sits at 581 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 2 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Chippewa County are larger. The town to know is Sault Ste. Marie, 3.6 miles out. Greater Sudbury sits 157 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Oldman Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Chippewa County cover rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish, alewife and lake trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Oldman Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 13°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Oldman Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Shawnee Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Oldman Lake locally before you travel.