← Alger County

Cook Lake

πŸ“ Alger County, Michigan

Cook Lake is a fishing water in Alger County, Michigan (Northern Lake Michigan management unit).

39
Fish species
0
Boat launches
βœ“
Public access
Conditions today D 44/100 Below-average Last stocked May 15, 2026 Largemouth Bass, 171 days ago Keeper size (estimated) Largemouth Bass Stocked fish likely at keeper size by now Access 0 boat launches Public access

πŸ“Š Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Cook Lake looks for the day you pick (today by default), from 0 to 100. It adds up five things: how recently the lake was stocked, the moon phase, the season, how many game and panfish species live here (such as black crappie, bluegill and brown trout), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

D
44/100
Monday, November 2, 2026
Conditions score

Below-average, consider a different lake or time of day.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked May 15, 2026
Last: May 15, 2026
πŸŒ— Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
πŸƒ Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
9 game/panfish species: outstanding variety
Game & panfish
πŸ“ Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Cook Lake Today

Fall fish at Cook Lake are feeding heavily before winter. Match the forage: shad, crawfish, and perch patterns work well.

πŸ“Š Fishing Pressure

Fishing pressure is our estimate of how busy Cook Lake is likely to be today. It looks at the day of the week, the time of year, and whether the lake has been stocked recently, because fresh stockings tend to draw anglers. Lower pressure usually means more room to work the water for black crappie, bluegill and brown trout.

Very Low estimated pressure today
Popular stocking lake

Very little activity expected. A great time to have the lake to yourself.

Estimate based on day of week, season, and recent stocking. Not a live crowd count.

🐟 Fish Species in Cook Lake

Black Crappie Good
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Bluegill Good
Lepomis macrochirus
Brown Trout Good
Salmo trutta
Largemouth Bass Good
Micropterus salmoides
Northern Pike Good
Esox lucius
Rainbow Trout Good
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Yellow Perch Good
Perca flavescens
Golden Shiner Good
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Rock Bass Good
Ambloplites rupestris
Bluntnose Minnow Good
Pimephales notatus
Brook Silverside Good
Labidesthes sicculus
Brook Stickleback Good
Culaea inconstans
Central Mudminnow Good
Umbra limi
Common Shiner Good
Luxilus cornutus
Emerald Shiner Good
Notropis atherinoides
Fathead Minnow Good
Pimephales promelas
Finescale Dace Good
Phoxinus neogaeus
Golden Redhorse Good
Moxostoma erythrurum
Goldfish Good
Carassius auratus
Kiyi Good
Coregonus kiyi
Lake Chub Good
Couesius plumbeus
Longnose Sucker Good
Catostomus catostomus
Mimic Shiner Good
Notropis volucellus
Mottled Sculpin Good
Cottus bairdii
Ninespine Stickleback Good
Pungitius pungitius
Northern Pearl Dace Good
Margariscus nachtriebi
Northern Redbelly Dace Good
Phoxinus eos
Pygmy Whitefish Good
Prosopium coulteri
Ruffe Good
Gymnocephalus cernua
Sand Shiner Good
Notropis stramineus
Shorthead Redhorse Good
Moxostoma macrolepidotum
Shortjaw Cisco Good
Coregonus zenithicus
Slimy Sculpin Good
Cottus cognatus
Spotfin Shiner Good
Cyprinella spiloptera
Spottail Shiner Good
Notropis hudsonius
Threespine Stickleback Good
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Trout-Perch Good
Percopsis omiscomaycus
Western Banded Killifish Good
Fundulus diaphanus
White Sucker Good
Catostomus commersonii
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πŸ“… Best Time to Fish Cook Lake

Combined bite activity across all 39 species in this lake.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

πŸ“ Fishing Regulations

Statewide general rules for the species found here. Individual waters can have exceptions (special size limits, closed seasons, trout lake types), so check this lake's listing in the official DNR Fishing Guide before heading out.
SpeciesMin sizeDaily limit
Black CrappieNone25 sunfish combined
BluegillNone25 sunfish combined
Brown Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Largemouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Northern Pike24"2
Rainbow Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Yellow PerchNone25
Rock BassNone25 sunfish combined
πŸ“… Stocking Timeline 5-year history
5 Stocking events
14,900 Fish stocked
3 Species
172d Since last stock
1664d Longest gap
Largemouth Bass 1,000
Bluegill 150
Fathead Minnow 13,750
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
Oct '19
May '24
May '26

πŸ“‹ Cook Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
May 15, 2026 Largemouth Bass 500 5.0"
May 10, 2024 Fathead Minnow 13,750 2.0"
May 10, 2024 Largemouth Bass 150 7.9"
May 10, 2024 Bluegill 150 3.9"
Oct 20, 2019 Largemouth Bass 350 2.6"
May 13, 2016 Largemouth Bass 150 8.0"
May 13, 2016 Bluegill 250 3.0"
May 13, 2016 Fathead Minnow 11,250 2.0"
May 4, 2015 Fathead Minnow 15,000 2.5"
May 4, 2015 Bluegill 250 4.0"
Jul 21, 1992 Largemouth Bass 528 4.6"
May 29, 1991 Northern Pike 1,000 2.4"
Jul 31, 1990 Largemouth Bass 6,322 2.0"
May 17, 1990 Northern Pike 1,200 3.9"
Aug 22, 1988 Largemouth Bass 1,000 4.0"
Apr 16, 1984 Rainbow Trout 6,300 6.1"
Apr 27, 1983 Rainbow Trout 6,500 6.4"
Mar 23, 1979 Brown Trout 400 5.8"

* Records shown are from our database. For the most current data, visit the Michigan DNR directly.

πŸ“… Stocking Forecast

Based on 18 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: Apr.
Peak Stocking Months
May Jul Apr
Most Stocked Species
Largemouth Bass Bluegill Fathead Minnow

* Forecast is based on historical DNR data and is not a guarantee of future stocking.

βš“ Cook Lake Boat Launches

No launch data on record for this lake. Browse all Michigan boat launches.

πŸ’‘ Angler Tips for Cook Lake

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🌀 Current Cook Lake Weather Conditions

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