Pigeon Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Benzie County entry here is Pigeon Lake, in Michigan. Height above sea level is 801 feet. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Our Benzie County list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Frankfort, 15 miles away. Greilickville is 16 miles and Traverse City 17 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Pigeon Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Benzie County: yellow perch, rock bass, smallmouth bass and white sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Pigeon Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 68°F and January near 21°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about mid December in an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Pigeon Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lime Lake at 2.1 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Pigeon Lake in what we hold.