Whitmarsh Lake in Chippewa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Chippewa County, Michigan, this is Whitmarsh Lake. Elevation runs to 850 feet. The water measures roughly 11 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. For supplies, Newberry is 25 miles out. Then Sault Ste. Marie, 33 miles, and Saint Ignace, 34 miles. Other water nearby: Brown Lake lies 0.2 miles on, Walker Lake 0.3 miles off, West Lake lies 0.7 miles on, Lost Lake 0.8 miles off and Salt Lake lies 0.8 miles on. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Whitmarsh Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Chippewa County records list rainbow smelt, bloater, lake whitefish, alewife and lake trout among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Whitmarsh Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 64°F and January at 14°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Whitmarsh Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Brown Lake, 0.2 miles away. Where Whitmarsh Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.