Upper Barnhart Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Presque Isle County end of Michigan holds Upper Barnhart Lake. Elevation runs to 774 feet. The water covers some 70 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 1.2 miles in total. The town to know is Rogers City, 12 miles out. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 167 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Upper Barnhart Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Presque Isle County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and lake whitefish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Upper Barnhart Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 18°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Upper Barnhart Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lower Barnhart Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Upper Barnhart Lake carry more weight than any list.