Pine Lake Fishing near Baraga, Michigan

• Overview

  The Houghton County entry here is Pine Lake, in Michigan. Around the bank it is rolling bush. It covers about 12 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Michigan listings. The closest town, Baraga, is 20 miles distant. For a city, Thunder Bay is 127 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Pine Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Houghton County: rainbow smelt, bloater and cisco. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Anyone new to Pine Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 11°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Pine Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Staff Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Pine Lake in what we hold.