Fishing Portage Lake

Portage Lake hosts one of Michigan's premier walleye fisheries with a population of 19,500 adult fish (2.02 per acre) showing exceptional growth rates 1.2 inches above state average. The spawning population spans ages 3-21 with most fish 18-25 inches, peaking at 19 inches for males and 21 inches for females, indicating excellent natural reproduction supplemented by biennial stockings. Total mortality is remarkably low at just 16.9%, well below the 30-50% typical of inland walleye lakes, suggesting light fishing pressure. Northern pike are equally impressive, growing 2.5 inches faster than state average with 32 fish over 30 inches captured including three at 39 inches during spring surveys. The diverse habitat includes clean gravel and cobble on the east shore ideal for walleye spawning, sand substrate on the west shore, and vegetated bays with coontail, Elodea, and Eurasian watermilfoil in the north and south ends where pike and bass concentrate. Lake Superior's connection provides abundant forage - alewife and rainbow smelt fuel the exceptional growth rates observed across species. Chassell Bay warms first in spring and holds the highest concentrations of spawning walleye, especially females. Summer dissolved oxygen remains sufficient for cool-water species to 37 feet, with optimal walleye temperatures (68-75°F) throughout most of the water column. A robust Lake Sturgeon population exists with fish from 10-60 inches and a special catch-and-release season. While panfish catch rates were low during surveys, popular black crappie and other sunfish fisheries exist. The system historically supported sauger until the 1970s - the current state record sauger (25.5 inches, 6.5 pounds) was caught here in 1978 before the species disappeared, likely due to habitat changes from copper mining, overharvest, and competition from stocked walleye.