Fishing at Spirit Lake, Alger County, Michigan

• Overview

  Spirit Lake sits in Alger County, out in Michigan. The land about it is pine and birch. At 10 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Ground here is low by Michigan standards. Supplies mean a trip to Munising, 15 miles off. It is 144 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Spirit Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Alger County, recorded fish include yellow perch, rainbow smelt, northern pike and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Spirit Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 17°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Spirit Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Deer Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. For Spirit Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.