Fishing Pretty Lake

Pretty Lake offers an unusual deep, clear oligotrophic fishery in the Upper Peninsula's Two Hearted River watershed where Walleye are the star attraction. These fish grow 1.8 inches above state average with 88% over the 15-inch legal size, ranging from 12-27 inches. The Walleye were introduced specifically to control Yellow Perch populations, and this predator-prey dynamic is working - Yellow Perch are severely stunted, growing 2.3 inches below average with zero fish reaching the preferred 7-inch harvest size. The lake's bowl-shaped basin reaches 68 feet deep with 70% of the water deeper than 15 feet, and dissolved oxygen remains suitable for fish down to 50 feet. Secchi disk readings of 20 feet indicate exceptional clarity. The sandy littoral zone has sparse vegetation, while the deep areas feature fibrous peat mixed with sand and marl substrates. With 66 trees per mile along the undeveloped shoreline, there's decent woody cover despite the lake's low productivity. Common White Sucker, though only 95 fish caught, dominated biomass at 66% due to their large size (11-21 inches). Splake stocking continues but with mixed results - only one older fish was caught at 17 inches among mostly recent stockers. The lake sits within a special conservation area where motors are prohibited, accessed only through the rustic state forest campground. This is a challenging but rewarding fishery for anglers willing to fish deep, clear water without power assistance.