Fishing Courtney Lake

Courtney Lake offers a unique mixed fishery combining abundant largemouth bass with adult-stocked trout in a 33-acre lake with 41 feet of maximum depth. Since 2008, largemouth bass have dominated the fishery and are easily caught throughout the lake in the 8-12 inch range, making this an excellent family fishing destination. Black crappie have become relatively abundant at 5.4 inches average, with favorable habitat including shoreline woody structure and aquatic vegetation. The trout fishery relies on adult stockings of lake trout and brook trout, with the 2021 survey capturing 16 lake trout from 26-31 inches and 3 brook trout from 13-16 inches. Trout habitat is marginal, with suitable water (below 68°F and above 6 ppm oxygen) existing only around the 14-foot depth in summer. Winter ice fishing provides better trout opportunities when the entire water column becomes suitable. The lake has clear water with 10-foot visibility and sandy shoreline substrate with sparse aquatic vegetation including bullrush and water lilies. Despite five chemical reclamations since 1959 to maintain trout fishery, coolwater species consistently reestablish, likely from anglers' bait buckets. The lake sits within Ottawa National Forest with minimal development, featuring a Forest Service campground with boat launch on the south shore and swimming beach on the west shore. Current regulations allow year-round fishing with 5 trout daily limit (no more than 3 over 15 inches), with minimum sizes of 10 inches for brook trout, 12 inches for brown and rainbow trout, and 15 inches for lake trout.