Piatt Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Chippewa County, Michigan, this is Piatt Lake. The land about it is lake country bush. At some 252 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The edge covers about 4.0 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. It is among the larger waters listed here for Chippewa County. The town to know is Newberry, 24 miles out. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 191 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Piatt Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Chippewa County cover rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish, alewife and lake trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Piatt Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 15°F in January up to 64°F in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Piatt Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Johnson Lake is 1.3 miles off. Confirm before you fish Piatt Lake.