Fishing Van Riper Lakes in Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Van Riper Lakes stands in Marquette County, Michigan. The setting is lake country bush on every side. With some 97 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 1.9 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On our Marquette County list it sits near the top for size. West Ishpeming at 16 miles is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Ishpeming (17 miles) and Negaunee (20 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Van Riper Lakes

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch, rainbow smelt, smallmouth bass and northern pike. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Van Riper Lakes before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 63°F on average, January about 11°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Van Riper Lakes rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. 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. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Arsenault Lake, 1.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Van Riper Lakes in particular, ask before you travel.