Fishing at Stump Lake, Chippewa County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Chippewa County, Stump Lake is a Michigan water. The country here is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 22 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. There is roughly 1.1 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Start from Sault Ste. Marie, 27 miles down the road. Greater Sudbury sits 185 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Stump Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish and alewife. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Stump Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 64°F, the coldest about 14°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on Stump Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, High Banks Lake is 0.4 miles distant. For Stump Lake in particular, ask before you travel.