Pats Lake Fishing Guide, Chippewa County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Chippewa County entry here is Pats Lake, in Michigan. It lies 581 feet above sea level. At about 230 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With 4.2 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Few waters listed in Chippewa County are bigger. The town to know is Thessalon, 22 miles out. Further out sit Rogers City (37 miles) and Blind River (40 miles). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Pats Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Chippewa County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish, alewife and lake trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Pats Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 16°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. On Pats Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Knutsen Lake sits 0.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Pats Lake for certain.