Saint Johns Lake Fishing in Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Saint Johns Lake sits within Marquette County in Michigan. The water sits 1,654 feet up. The water covers some 125 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 2.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. On our Marquette County list it sits near the top for size. The nearest place of any size is West Ishpeming, 21 miles away. Ishpeming follows at 22 miles, then Negaunee at 25 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Saint Johns Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Marquette County: white sucker, yellow perch, rainbow smelt and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Saint Johns Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 64°F, with January the cold end at about 10°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Saint Johns Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Dashwa Lake, 4.5 miles out. For Saint Johns Lake in particular, ask before you travel.