# Lake Charlevoix



## riandiyan (May 21, 2012)

I fish Lake Charlevoix every other weekend May-September and have been for a few years now. In no way shape or form am I quite proficient at it yet but I can at least get 1 or 2 a day if I go out a few hours at a time. I have caught bass and walleye, mainly bass but always try to target walleye. ive researched and tried a good number of areas, mainly trolling is my preferred method. I like rapala deep tail dancer lures and have 15, 20, and 30 ft lures. different colors and such. I just got planer boards this year to try out. I guess any helpful information would be great. Lure colors? what do the walleye typically eat in lake Charlevoix? and specific depths, drop offs? I don't want anyone specific secret locations lol but a general idea or direction? the family has a few houses right on the lake with our dock and boats right next to Horton bay. I usually troll at 2mph with my lures. I also purchased a line counter this year to help judge how far out the lure is and help with how deep its diving.

So morale of the story if anyone has any successful tips or recommendations or would like to hear anymore about how I fish Charlevoix that would be awesome!


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Lake Charlevoix is a Smallmouth mecca. Almost the entire lake has a shallow flat around the shores, with a nice dropoff not real far out. In the evening, Channel Cats come sliding up the drop-offs, to swim the flats in search of food. It is a great place to fish. I used to fish it quite a bit, when I was up there regularly on business, and stayed on the lake. I never caught a Walleye, but I'm sure there are some around. I've seen some gigantic Pike there - probably close to 50" fish. Steelhead are around in springtime, and they can be fun, too.


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## ChasinTail (Mar 8, 2011)

We are down at the Bone City end. We've had success trolling the drop off for walleye between tannery park and the boyne city shoppers dock. Boat traffic usually makes early morning or dusk fishing your best bet. Natural color husky jerks -ddhj have always produced. Smallmouth are pretty easy with a lot of nice fish caught but the walleye are a little more sporadic. On a good night we will get 3-4.


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## riandiyan (May 21, 2012)

ChasinTail - I'll have to look into the deep down husky jerk. using the deep divers by rapala I use seem quite similar but something different to try. any idea on what the walleye would feed on in Charlevoix???


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## charlevoix1872 (Feb 21, 2013)

I live in Boyne City and fish Lake Charlevoix often. Walleye tend to feed on Perch, Gobies & Shinners in the lake. Pinks & Purples work great in the DDHJ12 size. Or bottom bouncers or inlines with same color harnesses


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## riandiyan (May 21, 2012)

thank you Charlevoix 1872. knowing what the walleye feed on was going to be kind of how I selected some lure colors this year, I have had much luck with purple myself and haven't yet tried pink but keep reading about its success. hands down purple ive had my largest amount of catches on being walleye and bass. bottom bouncers Ive had only a handful of success with, for some reason trolling lures ive had better luck than trolling bottom bouncers. and the deep down husky jerks I have heard a lot of also. Ive mainly used rapalas deep tail dancer which seems quite similar to the DDHJ but I will be buying some of the Husky Jerks this year because of all the success ive heard people had with them, most definitely the deep down husky jerks lol. trying to get as much info and new ideas soaked in before the spring


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## charlevoix1872 (Feb 21, 2013)

Somedays Harnesses & Bottom Bouncers work better though because you are fishing 40 fow and the DDHJ12's do not get to the depth needed.


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## Craves (Feb 16, 2010)

I have never fished that lake, but have had sucess on another northern lake with lighted slip bobbers in the evening using leeches...A fun way to fish!


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## riandiyan (May 21, 2012)

Charlevoix1872 - I do have a wide variety of bottom bouncers and harnesses to use, actually quite a few variety. fishing lake erie and a handful of others doing the bottom bouncing with crawlers and leeches works quite well. I will have to give it another shot sometime trying them for deeper areas especially. the fishing boat I use I can troll at a nice 1-1.5mph with the boat I prefer to use is the comfortable version I can only get down to 2-2.5mph at its slowest which stretches the worms out quite a bit and seems to fast... so ill have to keep in mind to try bottom bouncers with the deep deep areas. what would you use at 40 fow a 2 or 3 ounce bottom bouncer?


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## charlevoix1872 (Feb 21, 2013)

I use 2 ounce BB and keep my speed between 0.8-1.2 SOG. When do you plan on fishing up here? I can hook you up with some decent spots if you want.


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## riandiyan (May 21, 2012)

I fish up there all spring summer and fall every other week. we got 2 houses on the lake right next to Horton bay. I can maintain that speed with the small fishing boat I got. the bigger comftorable boat wont go that slow  the spots I use now is mainly Horton bay area but ive been looking for new places to try so that would be awesome. I can private message if you want on here


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## charlevoix1872 (Feb 21, 2013)

yes sure.


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## hogeye_chaser (Feb 11, 2009)

We did well last summer around July 4th. Trolling the drop off between Horton bay and the state park. Ddhjs glass pink and glass perch were best. Our best day we got 8 or 9. And that was in the middle of the day


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## riandiyan (May 21, 2012)

hogeye_chaser said:


> We did well last summer around July 4th. Trolling the drop off between Horton bay and the state park. Ddhjs glass pink and glass perch were best. Our best day we got 8 or 9. And that was in the middle of the day


thx hogeye! ive tried that spot before and never had luck so maybe with the right lure and colors it will workout. I shall try it. I mainly fish from 11am to 8pm on Charlevoix so suns usually always out and about so I don't get primetime fishing times so I fish middle of the day also


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