Fishing at Pickerel Lake, Montmorency County, Michigan

• Overview

  Pickerel Lake is a Montmorency County water, Michigan side. What surrounds it is rolling bush. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Head to Lewiston, 6.5 miles away, for anything you forgot. Mio lies 16 miles off, Grayling another 19 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Montmorency County cover largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike and rock bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Work Pickerel Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 17°F to 67°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and early December closes it again. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan any trip to Pickerel Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Little Bear Lake, 3.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Pickerel Lake is worth confirming on the day.