Fishing at Virginia Lake, Montmorency County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Montmorency County end of Michigan holds Virginia Lake. The surface lies 814 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 16 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. For supplies, Lewiston is 20 miles out. The nearest city of size is Grand Rapids, 168 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Virginia Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Montmorency County records list largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, rock bass and yellow perch among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The near bank of Virginia Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 67°F, the coldest about 17°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Virginia Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Lake Geneva, 0.8 miles out. None of that is settled for Virginia Lake in what we hold.