Warner Lake Fishing near Manistique, Michigan

• Overview

  Michigan holds Warner Lake, in Delta County. Everything around it is rolling bush. It covers about 21 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It lies lower than most water we list in Michigan. For a base, Manistique sits 14 miles out. Beyond it, Gladstone at 24 miles and Escanaba at 28 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Warner Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Public occurrence data for Delta County names white sucker, alewife and rock bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Anyone new to Warner Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 15°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. On Warner Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. There are toilets half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Cousineau Lake, 1.1 miles out. What applies at Warner Lake may have changed since it was mapped.