Fishing at West Branch Lake, Alger County, Michigan

• Overview

  West Branch Lake belongs to Alger County, Michigan. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. At about 149 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.6 miles on foot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Alger County. Munising is the closest place, 17 miles off. Gladstone lies 26 miles off, Manistique another 27 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on West Branch Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Alger County cover yellow perch, rainbow smelt, northern pike and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. At West Branch Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 15°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That shapes the year on West Branch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Round Lake, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For West Branch Lake in particular, ask before you travel.