Fishing Toby Lake in Houghton County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Houghton County, Michigan, sits Toby Lake. Elevation runs to 1,512 feet. At roughly 4 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Houghton County list. The closest town, L'Anse, is 25 miles away. Further out sit Iron River (25 miles) and Baraga (25 miles). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Toby Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Houghton County records list rainbow smelt, bloater, cisco, yellow perch and lake whitefish among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Toby Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 10°F in January and 64°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Toby Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is a ramp at Kunze Lake Boat Launch, half a mile out. For walleye, a jig and minnow near the bottom is the standard; evenings beat middays. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Kunze Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Toby Lake should be assumed from this page alone.