Up In Michigan (request for info on 3 lakes)

[Believer]

I am an Muskies, Inc. member from Western Pennsylvania. I have some friends from Minnesota who want to do a get together trip in June 2007. We are looking at Cheboygan County, Michigan lakes. None of us has any Michigan fishing experience. (We are not meat hunters.) One of the gentlemen is a bass and northern pike enthusiast.

Could anyone advise on Black, Mullett and Burt Lakes[/b]? Are they good for musky? Are they good for bass and northerns?

How much pressure is on these lakes? What would conditions be like in June?

I would be grateful for any responses.

[Will Schultz]

I am an Muskies, Inc. member from Western Pennsylvania. I have some friends from Minnesota who want to do a get together trip in June 2007. We are looking at Cheboygan County, Michigan lakes. None of us has any Michigan fishing experience. (We are not meat hunters.) One of the gentlemen is a bass and northern pike enthusiast.

Could anyone advise on Black, Mullett and Burt Lakes[/b]? Are they good for musky? Are they good for bass and northerns?

How much pressure is on these lakes? What would conditions be like in June?

I would be grateful for any responses.

Tough lakes up there and not what I would call "good" muskie fishing. Those are natural lakes and have low density populations, due in no small part to spearing. The low numbers of muskie equates to little to no fishing pressure. The walleye and bass fishing is good but catching one muskie a week would be doing well.

If they're from MN and you're looking to split the distance I would suggest the west end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

[fishingwidow]

We stayed in Cheboygan in June this year on our way up to the UP (near these lakes) and they had a bass tournament on one of them during the weekend we were there, so heavy fishing pressure for bass during that week, but apparently all the anglers did pretty good. If you want to PM me with your contact info, I can call some folks who own a motel up there to see which lake it was and if they are going to have another tournament again next year that you might want to avoid (provided you are still going to that area and not better musky lakes as Will mentioned).

Stacy Paalanen
Whitecaps Tackle Co.
http://www.whitecapstackleco.com

[Chuck S.]

I would fly to Minnesota and meet your buddies who reside there and have them, logically, bring their boat and have at it in the multitude of trophy muskie lakes that state has to offer. As with anyplace, timing is everything, but I would take on Mille Lacs this Fall. It's an hour or so from the airport at MSP. The largest average size pike I have seen in the midwest are in there and you certainly have a good shot at lunker muskie. Outdoor Life magazine's latest issue contains the "10 best Fall fishing trips in the US". Mille Lacs is one of them for jumbo walleyes, pike, and muskie. If your friends don't know any aspect of the 110,000 acres then hire a guide for one day to establish some reference points. I could give a name of an excellent guide for that lake if you like. If 2007 was your main focus, Lake St Clair is the world class fishery Michigan has to offer.

[Cedersavage]

I am from that area and have fished these lakes quite a bit. They are very hard lakes to fish for muskie but hold some real trophies. Black lake is the best lake for numbers of musky and some really nice pike as well. Burt lake is vast but does hold some muskies, i have only brought 2 to the boat there, not hooking either. Large pike seems to be a better bet here. Mullet lake is the biggest of the three and is very deep, some muskies have been hooked but fishermen trolling for trout down deep. The weedy bays hold pretty good numbers of pike with always a chance to bring up a really noteworthy muskie. If you plan to try these waters don't forget the waterways between the lakes, with boat traffic being down in the fall, these waters just may be your best bet for a muskie. Good luck and keep your lines wet