Fishing at Pretty Lake, Luce County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Luce County, Pretty Lake is a Michigan water. The bank gives way to pine and birch. With some 48 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. It is among the larger waters listed here for Luce County. The town to know is Newberry, 18 miles out. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 184 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Pretty Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Luce County, recorded fish include yellow perch, white sucker, walleye and pink salmon. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Pretty Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 64°F on average, January about 16°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to Pretty Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Brush Lake is 0.2 miles off. Check the position at Pretty Lake before loading the car.