Stewart Lake near Gaylord: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Michigan holds Stewart Lake, in Montmorency County. It sits at 856 feet above sea level. About 4 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Our Montmorency County list holds plenty of bigger water. Gaylord at 18 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Lewiston at 20 miles and Indian River at 21 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Stewart Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell 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. Fish documented in Montmorency County include largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, rock bass and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The near bank of Stewart Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 17°F for January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. At Stewart Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Blue Lakes at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. For Stewart Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.