For Additional Information on Fishing on the Ottawa National Forest
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HERE ARE SOME BAITS YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY: Walleye - live leeches fished on slip-sinker jigs; crawlers on crawler ‘harnesses’ work well, too. Smallmouth Bass - twisted tail jigs bounced over rocky drop-offs. Ottawa Nation Forest | July 2021 Largemouth Bass - surface plugs, or poppers on warm, calm, summer days. Northern Pike—bronze and red-white spoons. Muskellunge - surface plugs. FISHING ON THE OTTAWA Crappie - tiny minnows on tiny non-lead head feathered jigs. Yellow Perch & Bluegill - tiny feathered jigs with red worm. Lake Trout - light-weight spoons (trolled). Brook Trout - try spinners, or flies for the skilled fly caster. Over 500 named lakes and nearly 2,000 miles of river and stream await the angler in the Ottawa National Steelhead and Salmon - yarn fly or spawn bags, usually drifed using one or two split-shot. Forest. Stream fishing is available throughout the Forest, and lake fishing is concentrated in the southern half of the Forest. Live bait, although messy, hard to care for, and difficult to fish, generally works best. ‘Tough-to-catch’ species such as walleye, crappie and smallmouth bass are those that most often require live bait. However, The Ottawa National Forest offers outstanding opportunities for hunting and fishing. These activities are even these species will fall for the right combination of bait and presentation. regulated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The information contained in this document is meant to enhance your fishing experience. The Michigan Fishing Guide is available wherever fishing licenses are sold. WANT TO KNOW MORE? WHEN TO FISH In the Upper Peninsula, the Michigan trout season runs from the last Saturday in April to September 30. Later Printed materials, videos and general program information on ‘Leave No Trace’ land ethics seasons are set for bass, walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge. See the MDNR Fishing Guide for exact may be obtained by calling 1-800-332-4100. dates. For more information call 1-800-562-1201 (toll free in Michigan and 715 area code in Wisconsin). Generally, spring (May-June) is the best time for lake fishing on the Ottawa; summer (July-August) is Ottawa National Forest information is available in large print somewhat slower, with fall (September-October) somewhere in between. Stream fishing for lake-run salmon upon request from the Forest Supervisor’s Office in Ironwood, and steelhead usually picks up around April 1 in streams with an extended trout-salmon season, such as the East Brand of the Ontonagon River North of M-28, or those with no closed season, such as the Black River. MI (906) 932-1330. The best fishing on these streams starts around mid-September and lasts until the snow flies. Stream fishing for For more information visit www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa or contact: resident trout is generally best near the end of the legal season, especially for brook trout, which start upstream migration at this time. Oawa Naonal Forest Bessemer Watersmeet/ Kenton Ontonagon Headquarters Ranger District Iron River Ranger District Ranger District Ranger District E6248 US‐2 E6248 US‐2 ‐2 East ‐28 1209 Rockland Road HOW TO FISH 4810 E M Ironwood, MI 49938 Ironwood, MI 49938E23979 Wate USrsmeet, MI 49969 Kenton, MI 49967 Ontonagon, MI 49953 Walleye and crappie tend to bite under low light conditions (early morning, late evening or on overcast days). (906)‐932‐1330 ‐932‐1330 (906)‐358‐4551 ‐852‐3500 (906)‐884‐2085 Fish for bass crappie, pike and panfish near logs, brush, or in weedy areas. (906) (906) In bright sunlight, and after storms or cold snaps, most fish tend to go deeper and are harder to get to bite. Use live bait, and fish deeper and slower under these conditions. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. WHERE TO FISH: Access to the fishing water of the Ottawa can vary from a paved boat ramp and parking Conditions change frequently, log the date, location, temperature, weather, fishing method, and lot to an undeveloped trail. Locations and access provided are denoted on the recreation map. your catches to refer back to here: *Lakes with Forest Service Campgrounds C-Crappie CI-Carry In **Sylvania (Special Rules Apply) B-Bluegill BL-Boat Launch P-Panfish Size-Acres Lake Size Depth Access Pike Walleye Bass Musky Trout Panfish GOGEBIC COUNTY Albino 17 16 CI NP Allen 70 40 BL NP W BA B Banner Barb 66 CI T Bass 187 13 BL NP Beaton 323 80 BL T P Big Ba- 220 34 BA B teau** Bluebill NP Bobcat* 73 15 BL NP C, B Buck 19 20 CI NP BA P BA Castle 28 50 CI T Cisco NP W BA B Clark** 820 75 BL T Clear** 38 48 NP P BA Corey** 18 10 BA P Cornelia T County 62 65 BL P Line Crooked** 579 66 BL NP B BA BA Stream Brook Rainbow Brown Small- Lake Steelhead Lake Trout Salmon Walleye Size Depth Access Pike Walleye Bass Musky Trout Panfish Name Trout Trout Trout mouth Bass Name Iron County cont. Gogebic County Cont. Ketchum B Creek Cub** 28 13 N. Branch B Paint Cyrus 22 26 CI Pendleton B Creek Dawn Silver Deer Is- B 281 48 Creek land** P S. Branch Devils B R BN 92 47 Paint Head** BA B 33-Creek B Dinner 110 25 BABL BA Ontonagon County Doyle** 9 46 Cascade P B Creek W Dream NP B Cisco Br. B BA E. Branch Duck 616 25 BL NP W BA C, B B R BN ST SL SM W P Ontonagon East BA Lambert 40 30 C, B B Bear** P Creek Leveque Eel 44 20 BL NP BA M C, B B Creek BA Elbow 20 21 BL NP Middle Branch On- B R BN W T P tonagon Finger 60 30 Newholm Glimmer- BA B 26 10 Creek glass** T Sandhill Golden BA B BA Creek Silence** Scott/Howe B Creek Grass 52 25 CI Sucker P B Hay** 14 35 Creek P Two Mile B R Heart 175 7 BACI Creek SM W. Branch SM W Helen** 60 51 BA Ontonagon BA P P BA BA P Lake Stream Brook Rainbow Brown Steelhead Small- Size Depth Access Pike Walleye Bass Musky Trout Panfish Lake TroutSalmon Walleye Name Name Trout Trout Trout Trout mouth Bass Gogebic County cont. Gogebic County cont. Mid. Br. Henry* 43 30 BL B R BN ST SM W Ontonagon High** 60 95 P Montreal BN ST Hiltop 16 56 Morrison B R Creek Holly 35 13 T Pelton B Honey- Creek BA BA BT suckle Presque Isle NP BA B BN Imp* 111 80 BL P River Tamarack Johnson P B BN 13 NP River Springs** BA B Kathe- Slate River B W 40 55 rine** BA Wellington B Kerr** 8 26 Creek Houghton County King 17 42 Silver River B Kunschke BA Sturgeon Lac Vieux BN ST 4260 38 BL NP W BA M P River Desert W. Branch B BN ST Langford* 470 15 BL TNP W BA C, B Sturgeon BA Little B West 41 69 B ST Duck Firesteel B Little BN 14 17 CI Iron County Langford BA Little Ox- Brule River B NP W BA M C, B BN bow Bush Creek B Little BA Pomeroy Cooks Run B SM W P BN Loon** 358 50 Defiance BA B Creek Long 168 51 BL BA P Golden B BN Marion* 317 40 BA M Creek Marsh** 65 24 W Iron River B P P T P WBA P BA Lake Lake Size Depth Access Pike Walleye Bass Musky Trout Panfish Size Depth Access Pike Walleye Bass Musky Trout Panfish Name Name Ontonagon County cont. Gogebic County cont. Erickson 12 49 CI Mastadon NP Gogebic W BA Mink 63 6 CI NP Prickett 775 NP W BA Mishike 13 30 CI Six-Mile 66 13 CI NP W BA P Misty BA Robbins BL BA P Moon 93 40 P Pond* Moraine 77 22 BL NP W BA M C, B Steusser 34 53 BL NP Moose- B 43 27 BL NP T C, B Sudden 42 15 BL NP W head* NP Moun- Tanlund BA 100 39 tain** Victoria 260 74 BL BA BA Orchard NP P Ormes 49 65 BL BA W BA T Plymouth 26 15 CI Pomeroy* 303 15 BL WNP W BA MP C, B Stream Brook Rainbow Brown Small- Presque Steelhead Lake Trout Salmon Walleye NP BA M C, B Name Trout Trout Trout mouth Bass Isle Gogebic County Presque BA P Isle Flow- 65 10 BL NP W C, B Black River B R BN ST LT SL age Bluff Creek B R Queen BA Deadman B Range BA Creek Redboat 24 31 BL Duck Creek B T Gaylord Scout 24 15 CI T W BA BB B Creek T Snap 48 62 Imp Creek B BN Jack** Little Sucker B Presque Summit 24 31 CI Marathon B Creek Sun 31 30 CI McGinty B P Creek BA TBA P BA P P Lake Lake Size Depth Access Pike Walleye Bass Musky Trout Panfish Size Depth Access Pike Walleye Bass Musky Trout Panfish Name Name Gogebic County cont. Iron County cont. Taylor 110 41 BL Bela 70 8 Thrush 17 20 BL Bennan 56 18 Hike Thousand Brule 250 20 BL NP W BA M P NP W BA M B Island East Paint 225 5 M Trapper** 16 BA P Golden* 285 100 BL P West 56 20 Bear** BA P Hagerman 584 54 BLNP NP WBA BA P P White- Hannah- 500 51 W BA 64 35 BLBA T fish** Webb Houghton County James 217 15 BL NP NP BA Bob* 133 15 BL Killdeer 8 B Little Echo 45 41 CI W BA P 78 20 BL NP BA Smokey P Estes 22 54 CI W BL BA Mallard 318 5 CL P Hager 37 13 CI BA T Mitigwaki 256 10 BA Irish 12 39 CI Norway* BL W BA Kunze 13 51 CI Ottawa* 551 90 NPBL NP BAW BA P P T Lake-on- BA P B 25 39 CI NP BA T P Paint 332 15 M P Three Lower P Perch* 994 14 BL NP W P C, Perch 17 20 Dam St.