# Portage Lake Houghton/Hancock



## leggitt57 (Jan 4, 2011)

Okay guys I&#8217;m looking for some information/help/advice on this lake. My GF&#8217;s son goes to MTU and we are looking at making a trip up there soon to visit him and I&#8217;m also hoping to get a little bit of ice fishing in while I am up there since they might actually have ice up there and we have none really to speak of here in SW Michigan. I have heard there are some nice Walleye and Pike in this lake but I know nothing of where to go or how best to fish it. I also enjoy bluegill and crappy fishing too so any advice on those would be great! Can anyone give me a quick and dirty of what I should know about this lake and how to fish it (I know this probably is an impossible question to answer but any information would be greatly appreciated)? I have all the gear required Showdown, Jigging Rods, Pan-Fish Poles, Tip-Ups, Shanty etc&#8230;Your information will help me determine where I stay and what I bring with me. Thanks in advance


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## GuppyII (Sep 14, 2008)

Fish the entrance to Chassell bay/aka Pike Bay. We used to set up tip ups in front of buddy's house and get some monster pike. Pin a dead smelt on a Swedish hook or a sucker minnow on a treble and wait. We would get 5-6 pike over 40 inches during the winter. Lots of goos eaters too. I got walleye out in the main lake, they get em in torch too. Go up towards copper harbor and try for splake in the harbor or manganese had decent brook trout.


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## Bangins (Jan 15, 2012)

Pike bay as said, or try the humps, you'll need a lake map but they pull walleye all winter off those humps, some jumbos as well

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## rclydestinson (Jul 3, 2012)

The "humps" referred to by the last poster are located off to the WNW of the mouth of the Sturgeon River that enters the SE end of Portage lake. They aren't really much of humps, only a foot or so higher than the surrounding bottom but they are structure and they do attract and hold fish. It is easy to find, as there are numerous shacks /tents out there. Access is easiest from the launch in Chassell but it is a good walk if you don't have a snowmobile or atv. Crappy have been hitting in Chassell Bay. There is a bait shop in Chassell a block from the access site(Centenial Park) and they can give you pointers as to where to go and what to use for bait.
Another lake that has a good walleye/pike population is Rice Lake, east of Lake Linden. Farther out in Keweenaw you also have Gratiot lake, Medora Lake, Manganeese Lake, Baily Lake and Copper Harbor.


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## leggitt57 (Jan 4, 2011)

All good information thank you guys I will keep this in mind as I start planning the trip!


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Dont forget Da Beer,Everyone knows ya cant do nuttin in the U.P. with out your Beer.:lol:


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