Fishing at Peter Lake, Luce County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Luce County end of Michigan holds Peter Lake. The bank gives way to mixed forest. Newberry lies 14 miles from the water. Further out sit Manistique (41 miles) and Munising (42 miles). Also worth knowing: Smith Lake 0.1 miles, Benny Lake a shade over 0.5 miles, Dude Lake 0.9 miles, Becks Lake a shade over 0.9 miles and Musgrave Lakes 1.1 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Peter Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Luce County names yellow perch, white sucker, walleye, pink salmon and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Peter Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 16°F and July at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Peter Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Smith Lake sits 0.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Peter Lake before loading the car.