Pine Dam Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Houghton County, Michigan, you have Pine Dam Lake. The water sits 961 feet up. At roughly 5 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Our Houghton County list holds plenty of bigger water. Atlantic Mine at 18 miles is the nearest place to stop. Thunder Bay sits 103 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Pine Dam Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Houghton County names rainbow smelt, bloater, cisco and yellow perch. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Pine Dam Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 14°F in January and 64°F in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Pine Dam Lake around it.

• 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. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Lake Roland is 3.2 miles distant. Rules at Pine Dam Lake are worth checking on the day.