Interlochen State Park Area Lakes

[kram1982]

Looking at making a trip up there this coming weekend, was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction on some good lakes to fish this time of year for some smallies and largies and what the current water temps are.  Was planning on Duck and Green but was wondering if there are any better ones this time of year. Thanks for any help and suggestions!

Keith

[Waterfoul]

Duck and Green can be great.  I would also look into Silver (just north towards T.C.), Lake Ann (just west a little bit) and Long Lake.  All these lakes are within a half hour of each other.

[kram1982]

Are those mainly smallie lakes? Haven't ever been up that way fishing before so completely in the dark. Heard lots of good things about the area and looking forward to trying them out.

[Waterfoul]

All the lakes up there have both species in them.  You can catch both species on consecutive casts in some places.   I've caught more smallies than largemouths on Silver lake over the years.  Green has good smallies in it... we weighed in a nearly 6 pounder at the fall hawg hunt last October and caught several others in the 5 pound range that day.

Long Lake seems to have more smallies than largemouths too.  But I've had a hard time finding fish on that lake most times I've been there.

[BIGSHOW]

I'm on bass lake right in between long lake and silver. Silver is pretty good but you might wanna try cedar hedge right down the road from the park in interlochen. I've had some pretty good luck there. Mostly largemouth and some good pike. It gets pretty deep for a smaller lake and some nice drop offs.

[Dan]

All the lakes mentioned have some great bass fishing. Long Lake has some very decent walleye fishing if you want to catch your dinner. Some big smallies in Long as well. It always takes close to 20 to do well in our tournaments up there. However, what you really need is food info. South of the lakes right on 137 (the road that goes between the lakes) is Karlin. The grocery store there makes killer subs. The Hoffbrau north of the lakes has the best Sunday brunch around. The Coup de Grabass is Boone's Long Lake Inn just down the road a piece from the lakes. It's a sit down places but you will not go away hungry. On Duck, head straight across from the public access and go south out around the point. Also try the reeds along and in the North end. The far east shore around the point has some good wood on it. North around the point is a mushy flat, but early in the year it will be the warmest water. Senko fish Green. The drops and the northwest corner just before you go around the horseshoe. Spinnerbaits and dropshot also are good. Long Lake has a weird public access ramp. You have to back across a street to put your boat in. Drop the trolling motor as soon as your in and fish the weed drop north. Straight east across the lake from the ramp you'll see a very shallow flat. Gets deeper near shore with a bunch of sunken timber.

[BIGSHOW]

The apache trout grill on the bay has a great Sunday Brunch also. And if your near Long Lake you can't leave without stopping by Moomer's ice cream parlor. Voted one of the best in America.

[Dan]

Do you have weigh points for these two eateries. I usually don't ask for them, but with limited time, I'd really like to be sure I have at least a couple of spots I can depend on for quality eats. There are weigh points and then there are way points. The former are truly weigh points. My scale can attest to that.

[Waterfoul]

Do you have weigh points for these two eateries. I usually don't ask for them, but with limited time, I'd really like to be sure I have at least a couple of spots I can depend on for quality eats. There are weigh points and then there are way points. The former are truly weigh points. My scale can attest to that.

We've always had good food at the bar in Karlin too.

[Dan]

Ate there many a times, but I would only give it 1 1/2 stars. There is a newer place north of the lakes a short distance that they built a few years ago. Remember the ice cream was pretty good.

[kram1982]

Just wanted to give a quick report of our fishing trip last weekend.  Went up Friday night and crashed in my truck camper in the Walmart parking lot.  Woke up Saturday morning and went over to Skegemog Lake and couldn't even find a fish. Water temp was between 43-47 degrees and the wind picked up as the day went on.  We ended up leaving Skeg around 3pm and went over to Interlochen State Park where we were staying the night.  Went out on Duck Lake and finally found some fish in 4-8 feet of water.  Nothing to big but caught about 10 fish between the 3 of us in 2 hours.  We had my dog out in the truck and didn't want to stay out to long so headed back in to get the camp site set up and cook some dinner over the fire.  Beautiful night at a great campground, 1 of only 3 camps set up in the whole park.  Sunday was much better, after getting the camper packed back up we went over to Green Lake across the street and absolutely killed it.  Got on the lake by about 9:30am and caught our first fish around 10:30 on a jerkbait.  I just installed a 12 foot Talon on my boat this spring and let me tell you, it paid for itself already.  We ran into a school of smallies on the edge of a 12 foot flat so we just paralleled the flat in about 9 foot of water, put the Talon down and started throwing out to it.  We noticed when someone caught a fish on a jerkbait about 4-6 fish were following it in so we started throwing soft plastics to the group coming in with the jerkbait and they were smoking the plastics.  I was doing pretty well throwing a tube in the middle of them and picking a few up as well.  We were also catching quality fish on a blade bait as well.  Ended up catching 54 fish between the 3 of us and I bet almost 40 of them were over 3 lbs.  Best 5 went just under 24lbs anchored by a 5lb 8oz smallie and a 5lb 3oz smallie.  The 5 1/2 lb killed a blade bait and the other 5 hit a jerkbait.

We would have really struggled without the Talon as the wind was 20mph plus and had 1-3 foot waves.  We would fish a spot with the Talon anchored, once we felt we fished it out we would move down the flat a little ways, anchor again, catch a few more and move again.  I've been wanting to get a Talon for a few years now and finally pulled the trigger this winter.  If anyone is on the fence of getting one or not, my recommendation would be to get one.  I think its going to get a ton of use in different situations and feel like it will be a game changer for certain things.  Now just to talk my fiancee into letting me get a 2nd one... lol

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions everyone, can't wait to go up there again next year as we are going to make this a yearly trip for the 3 of us and Hank my boxer.  He has a blast as well.