Exceptionally clear deep lake with crystal blue water. Ernest Hemingway's boyhood lake. Outstanding smallmouth bass and lake trout fishery.
| Species | Population | Best technique |
|---|---|---|
|
Micropterus dolomieu
Rocky structure ÔÇö trophy smallmouth
|
Tubes, drop shot, jigs near rocky points | |
|
Salmo trutta
|
Streamers, large spoons, nightcrawlers, spawn sacs ÔÇö fish near stream mouths and tributaries in fall | |
|
Lota lota
Deep water -- best through the ice at night
|
Large tube jigs, jigging spoons, and smelt or sucker meat fished on bottom through the ice at night. Best action after dark near river mouths and rocky lake structure. Tip-ups with live smelt are also | |
|
Salvelinus namaycush
Deep, cold water
|
Jigging spoons deep, vertical jigging | |
|
Lepomis gibbosus
|
Small worms, crickets, tiny jigs near docks and weed edges ÔÇö same approach as bluegill | |
|
Osmerus mordax
Spring dip-netting in tributaries
|
Spring dip-netting in creek mouths and tributaries during spawning runs (check local regulations for net size/limits). Ice fishing with tiny teardrops and wax worms -- smelt move in massive schools un | |
|
Oncorhynchus mykiss
|
Spinners, egg sacs, worms — drift fishing in streams | |
|
Ambloplites rupestris
|
Small jigs, spinners, crayfish imitations | |
|
Perca flavescens
|
Small jigs tipped with minnow or waxworm, small spinners, ice fishing with teardrops and waxworms | |
|
Coregonus artedi
Michigan Threatened -- handle carefully, report catches to MDNR
|
Ice fishing with small spoons and jigging lures at thermocline depth; fall trolling near river mouths with small spoons | |
|
Esox masquinongy
|
Large bucktails, jerkbaits, topwater gliders, sucker minnows ÔÇö always finish with a figure-8 boatside | |
|
Sander vitreus
|
Jigs with minnows, crawler harnesses, trolling crankbaits |
* Records shown are from our database. For the most current data, visit the Michigan DNR directly.