Fishing Colwell Lake

Colwell Lake offers an unusual fishing experience dominated by overabundant Northern Pike - one of the highest catch rates ever recorded in Michigan at 14.0 fish per net night. The 158-acre seepage lake reaches 20 feet deep with abundant aquatic vegetation and a sandy shoreline. Most Northern Pike run 15-20 inches with slow growth rates averaging 5.1 inches below state average. Winter oxygen levels drop to critical levels below 5 feet, with the bottom half fully anoxic, while summer provides good habitat to 15 feet depth. The panfish population has recovered from historical stunting issues but remains modest in quality - Bluegill are most abundant but few exceed 7 inches, while Black Crappie show the same pattern with growth 2.3 inches below average. Brown Bullhead are the standout species with 95% reaching preferred size. The lake has high densities of submerged trees (102 per km) providing structure. Largemouth Bass are nearly absent with only 3 fish captured, possibly due to Northern Pike predation. The forest service campground and boat launch provide access to this undeveloped Hiawatha National Forest lake. Low alkalinity (40 mg/L) suggests less buffering capacity than typical Northern Michigan lakes. Primary productivity occurs through vegetation rather than algae based on very low chlorophyll levels. Anglers should target Northern Pike aggressively and keep smaller fish to help balance the population.