Pine Lake near Manistee: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Pine Lake is a Manistee County water, Michigan side. Height above sea level is 738 feet. The water covers some 166 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 2.0 miles keeps the choices simple. It ranks high for size among our Manistee County listings. Manistee is the closest place, 16 miles off. The nearest city of size is Grand Rapids, 86 miles away. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Pine Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Manistee County names alewife, rainbow smelt and bloater. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Pine Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 21°F in January up to 68°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Time your trip to Pine Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Timmerman Lake is 1.5 miles off. Treat access at Pine Lake as something to verify.