Fishing Winona Lake in Houghton County, Michigan

• Overview

  Winona Lake lies in Houghton County, in Michigan. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. At 10 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Ontonagon is the closest town at 19 miles. It is 106 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. Nearest other option: Cemetery Lake roughly 0.4 miles, Bob Hall Lake some 1.5 miles off, Sandy Lake roughly 2 miles, Horseshoe Lake some 2.2 miles off and Bohmier Lake roughly 2.4 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Winona Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. 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. Reported across Houghton County: rainbow smelt, bloater and cisco. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Winona Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 13°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. On Winona Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Cemetery Lake, 0.4 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Winona Lake for certain.