Richard Lake Fishing Guide, Houghton County, Michigan

• Overview

  Richard Lake stands in Houghton County, Michigan. The bank gives way to mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 10 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Compared with other Michigan water on our list, it sits high. The nearest place of any size is Baraga, 20 miles away. For a city, Thunder Bay is 126 miles off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Richard Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Houghton County names rainbow smelt, bloater and cisco. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Richard Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 12°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Time your trip to Richard Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Staff Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Richard Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.