A ramp area is located on the northern end of Spring Lake Bayou. From Route 104, take Fruitport Road north for four miles to the ramp that is just north of the bridge. And Pettys Bayou ramp at Spring Lake is located on the southern shoreline. From Route 104, take Fruitport Road north for just a mile to the concrete ramp.

Access to Stearn’s Bayou is at the Indian Channel on the north side of the river, about a half-mile upstream. To reach the ramp from Route 104, follow 138th Avenue for just over three miles.

Information: Contact Lakeview Marine and Tackle at (616) 842-2770, or the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit at (616) 685-6851. Call the Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce at (800) 303-4097 for information on lodging.

LAKE CADILLAC
“Anytime is good for northern pike on Lake Cadillac,” said Brian Richards of Schafer’s Bait and Sporting Goods. “You can catch a lot of under-sized pike in the 20- to 23-inch range every day, but there are bigger pike in here. The really big ones are caught in the winter, which is when I caught my biggest at 20 pounds. In summer, I think they just go down into the weeds. If you catch a 20-pounder, you’re doing pretty well.”

Over the last several years, Richards, his father and a friend have together caught seven pike weighing in at the 20-pound mark or more. And according to MDNR fisheries biologist Mark Tonello, a couple of fish approaching 20 pounds come out of the lake every year. He’s aware of one 24-pounder taken in the past.

Weedbeds are dense in the shallower parts of Lake Cadillac, which covers 1,150 acres in Wexford County. The lake is heavily fished, with a primary feature being the extensive cabbage beds, although these can be difficult to penetrate.

Richards recommends anglers start in 10 to 12 feet of water near the channel connecting Lake Cadillac to Mitchell Lake. A dropoff extends from the channel along the southern end of the lake, about 75 yards off the shoreline. This is where much of the lake’s cabbage grows during the summer. If it’s still green in January, it’s still producing dissolved oxygen, and the pike will gravitate to it. Pike move up into the shallows near cover during the early ice and then on out into water in the 10-foot range later on, especially in the green cabbage.

One traditional hotspot lies by the causeway on the west end of the lake. Depths average close to 15 feet and range to nearly 30 feet.

Access: Lake Cadillac is easily accessible from Route 131. A boating access area is in Mitchell State Park on the western end of the lake, off Rose Avenue on the northwestern shore, and off Lake Street on the east end of the lake.

Information: Call Schafer’s Bait and Sporting Goods (231) 775-7085, or the MDNR’s Central Lake Michigan Unit at (231) 775-9727.

DEVIL’S LAKE
“There are some 20-pounders in Devil’s,” said Terry Gottschalk of the Minnow Bucket Bait and Tackle, and under the ice, northern pike are prone to wander just about anywhere.

Devil’s Lake isn’t unique in that respect, but it can be a frustrating experience for anglers. Locating the weedbeds, most of which are in the northern section of the lake, is a good bet if they’re still green and producing oxygen. Anglers that aren’t familiar with the lake can find some vegetation near the dropoff by the boat ramp.

Having a portable sonar or underwater viewing system can be a real plus, and more ice-anglers are taking advantage of the technology every year. Drill a tentative hole and begin investigating the area. Look for schools of baitfish that the pike, likewise, will be showing interest in. Several holes may have to be drilled to find the honeyhole, but a couple of Devil’s Lake northerns on the end of the line will make all the work worthwhile.

Devil’s Lake is located just east of Addison in Lenawee County and covers 1,330 acres. According to fisheries biologist Jeffrey Braunscheidel of the MDNR, a lake survey conducted a few years ago captured 19 pike, six of which were longer than 24 inches; one fish measured 31 inches long.

“Overall, there were pretty good numbers of pike with plenty of legal fish,” Braunscheidel said.