Pin Lake in Iron County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Michigan holds Pin Lake, in Iron County. This is lake country bush ground. This is a pocket water of some 11 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It sits higher than most water we list in Michigan. Nearest place of any size is Crystal Falls, 7.3 miles away. Green Bay is the closest city, 109 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Pin Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name brown trout, yellow perch, northern pike, walleye and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Pin Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 10°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Pin Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Chicagon Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Pin Lake should be assumed from this page alone.