Chicagon Lake
About 1,100 acres near Iron River. Few muskies, but big ones: the last survey caught five, the largest 51 inches. Stocked every other year. Launch at Pentoga Park.
906-214-2308
906-265-9100
40 E Adams St
Iron River, MI 49935
Musky Fishing In Iron County
Iron County • Michigan • Upper Peninsula
They call the musky the fish of ten thousand casts, and the western Upper Peninsula is where Michigan's native muskies live. Iron County has stocked lakes, wild lakes and big river water along the Wisconsin line. Here's where to fish them and the rules you need to know.
ALL YEAR
You can fish for musky any month, as long as you let them go
JUNE–MID-MARCH
The only time you're allowed to keep one
42 INCHES
The smallest you can keep (50 inches on Chicagon Lake)
1 A YEAR
Keep one, report it within 24 hours
Start Here
Where to Fish for Musky in Iron County, Michigan
It comes down to what you're after. For your best odds of a fish, go to Lake Emily. It's a smaller lake where the muskies grew up on their own, and the last state survey turned up sixteen of them.
For a trophy, go to Chicagon Lake. The muskies there are few, kept going by stocking every other year, but they grow big. The last survey caught only five, and one went 51 inches. That's why Chicagon carries a bigger size limit than anywhere else in the county.
Beyond those two, Peavy Pond and the Paint River collect fish that work their way down the river system, and on the Wisconsin line the Paint and Brule river impoundments are border water with rules of their own.
Leave Michigamme Reservoir for walleye. A full year of state netting there turned up a single musky.
The Water
Best Musky Lakes in Iron County: Chicagon, Emily, Peavy Pond & More
Lake Emily
A 325-acre lake with muskies that reproduce on their own. The last state survey caught 16, from 30 to 41 inches. Numbers may be down from years past.
Peavy Pond
Never stocked. The muskies found their own way in from the Paint River system, and state netting has turned up fish to 48 inches.
Stanley Lake
Long-time musky water and one of the lakes locals name first. Musky spearing is closed here, so it's hook and line only.
Swan Lake
Stocked with musky as recently as 2018, and closed to musky spearing.
Paint & Brule River Water
The Main Branch of the Paint River, Paint Pond and the Brule River impoundments on the state line. The border waters have their own rules: 50-inch minimum, and the season to keep one closes Dec. 31.
2026 Rules
Michigan Musky Season and Size Limits for 2026
The short version: let them go any time of year, and keep one only in season, if it's big enough. These rules run April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
Fishing to Release
Open all year
Every musky goes right back in the water
Season to Keep One
First Saturday in June to March 15
June 6 in 2026
Size You Can Keep
42 inches statewide
50 inches on Chicagon Lake and the border waters
How Many
One musky per angler per license year
Report a Kept Musky
Within 24 hours
Online, in the Hunt Fish app or at 888-636-7778
Border Waters
Season to keep one closes Dec. 31
Hook and line only
Trophy recognition:
A musky of 46 inches or more qualifies for a Michigan Master Angler
award, even if you release it.
Timing
When to Fish for Musky in the Upper Peninsula
Come from August into early November. The muskies feed harder as the water cools, and the best days often come when the maples are turning.
In fall, go bigger with your lures, slow everything down, and fish the shallower, warmer water before the lakes turn over for winter.
Let It Go Right
How to Release a Musky Safely
- Leave the gaff at home. Use a big net or a cradle instead.
- Keep the fish in the water while you unhook it, and lift it only for a quick photo.
- Hold it level, with one hand under the belly. Never hang a musky by the gills or jaw.
- Carry heavy cutters and snip a deep hook rather than dig for it.
- Hold it upright in the water until it swims off on its own.
Crystal Falls
Bait and Tackle
Stop at Crystal Bait and Marine on Crystal Avenue for bait, tackle and what's biting.
Crystal Bait and MarineMore Fishing
Fishing Iron County in Winter?
The lakes don't close when they freeze. Our ice fishing guide has the lakes, the seasons and how to stay safe on the ice.
Ice Fishing GuideQuestions
Musky Fishing in Iron County: Common Questions
Which lakes in Iron County, Michigan have musky?
Lake Emily gives you the best odds. Its muskies reproduce on their own. Chicagon Lake has fewer but bigger fish and is stocked every other year. Peavy Pond, Stanley Lake and Swan Lake also hold musky, along with the Paint and Brule river water on the Wisconsin line.
What is the musky size limit in Michigan?
42 inches statewide. On Chicagon Lake and the Michigan–Wisconsin border waters it's 50 inches.
When does musky season open in Michigan?
The season to keep a musky opens the first Saturday in June and runs to March 15. You can fish for musky all year as long as you release them.
Do I have to register a musky I keep?
Yes, within 24 hours, online, in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or by phone at 888-636-7778. You can keep one musky per license year.
Are there musky in Michigamme Reservoir?
Very few. A full year of state netting found just one. Fish the reservoir for walleye and pike, and go to Lake Emily or Chicagon for musky.
When is the best time to fish for musky in the U.P.?
August into early November. Musky feed harder as the water cools in fall.
Start Planning
Plan a Musky Fishing Trip to Iron County
Pick a week in early fall, put in on Lake Emily at first light, save a day for a big one on Chicagon and make those ten thousand casts. Then book a room close to the water, because the musky bite doesn't keep banker's hours.
Fishing and tagged chicagon lake, fall fishing, fishing michigan, iron county michigan, lake emily, muskellunge, musky fishing, upper peninsula michigan.
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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.