← Iron County

Dawson Lake

📍 Iron County, Michigan

Dawson Lake is a fishing water in Iron County, Michigan (Northern Lake Michigan management unit).

36
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today D 40/100 Below-average Last stocked May 17, 1990 Northern Pike, 36.5 years ago Keeper size (estimated) No estimate Not enough size data Access 0 boat launches Public access

📊 Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Dawson 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 largemouth bass), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

D
40/100
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Conditions score

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

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked May 17, 1990
Last: May 17, 1990
🌘 Moon Phase
Waning Crescent
Feeding bonus
🍃 Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
6 game species present
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Dawson Lake Today

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

📊 Fishing Pressure

Fishing pressure is our estimate of how busy Dawson 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 largemouth bass.

Very Low estimated pressure today

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.

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📅 Best Time to Fish Dawson Lake

Combined bite activity across all 36 species in this lake.

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📏 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
Largemouth Bass14"5 bass combined
Northern Pike24"2
Yellow PerchNone25

📋 Dawson Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
May 17, 1990 Northern Pike 700 3.7"
May 31, 1989 Northern Pike 490 4.3"

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

📅 Stocking Forecast

Based on 2 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: May.
Peak Stocking Months
May
Most Stocked Species
Northern Pike

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

⚓ Dawson Lake Boat Launches

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

💡 Angler Tips for Dawson Lake

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🌤 Current Dawson Lake Weather Conditions

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🔗 Resources

📋 DNR Stocking Database 📖 Michigan Fishing Guide (PDF) 🗺 View on Map 📍 Google Maps 🎣 Log a catch here