Popular Lakes: Ottawa, Chicaugon, Big Smokey, Little Smokey, & Sunset
Largemouth Bass
Best caught in early-mid June through September. Largemouth bass are voracious eaters, with many different animals becoming prey to this fierce eater. Even terrestrial animals like snakes and mice.
Colorings of largemouth bass include Olive, dark green, and brown… largemouth bass can change color a bit like a chameleon if you pay close enough attention.
Best artificial bait for bass are Jigs, Spinnerbaits, Plastic Worms, Swimbaits, and Crankbaits. The best live bait for bass are small baitfish like minnows, herring, and shiners.
Smallmouth Bass
Popular Lakes: Ottawa, Chicaugon, Big Smokey, Little Smokey, & Sunset
Best caught in early-mid June through September. Once the summer heat sets in, Iron County smallmouth fishing ravels any other smallmouth fishing in North America!
Smallmouth bass are golden-olive to dark brown dorsally which fades to a yellowish white ventrally with dark brown vertical bars or blotches along the body and dark brown horizontal bars on the head.
Best artificial bait for bass are Jigs, Spinnerbaits, Plastic Worms, Swimbaits, and Crankbaits. The best live bait for bass are small baitfish like minnows, herring, and shiners.
Musky
Popular Lakes: Emily, Brule, Chicaugon, Paint Pond, Stanley, & Main Branch Paint River
Best caught in August through early November. Musky feeding increases later in the season.
Native muskies have darker markings (spots or bars) on a light background. They’re silver, light green, or light brown. They look and behave much like northern pike.
Bucktails are arguably the most popular bait used by musky anglers. Bucktails produce vibrations in the water that are easily felt by a musky's lateral line. Bucktails can be retrieved at any speed, depending on the conditions.
Rewarding Places to Stay in Michigan
AmericInn
by Wyndham
906-214-2308
906-265-9100
40 E Adams St
Iron River, MI 49935
Chicaugon
Lake Inn
906-265-9244
1700 County Road 424
Gaastra, MI 49917
Lakeshore Motel
Ice Lake
906-265-3611
1257 W Ice Lake Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
Pioneer
Lodge
800-362-7853
373 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
Ski Brule
Village
800-DO-BRULE
906-265-4957
397 Brule Mountain Rd
Iron River, MI 49935
Tall
Pines
906-822-7713
1968 US 141 Highway
Amasa, MI 49903
Iron County Michigan Visitors Guide
Iron County is one of the Upper Peninsula’s best kept secrets. From camping to fishing, hunting to canoeing, mountain biking to forest bathing – no matter your interests, the great outdoors and clear crisp air await you here.