Destination: Trophy Bronzebacks Of Elk Lake

By Don Wirth
BASSMASTER Magazine, November 2007

Updated: January 10, 2008, 2:29 PM ET

Elk Lake, one of the largest inland lakes in northern Michigan, is an overlooked gem for trophy smallmouth. Carved out by glaciers eons ago, Elk looks remarkably like a Norwegian fjord. Its superclear water and dearth of shallow wood or weed cover may cause it to appear sterile to Bassmasters used to fishing murky reservoirs, but don't be disheartened by its extreme transparency. Time your trip right and you're likely to get your string stretched by a trophy-class smallmouth.

Dick Mericle of nearby Rapid City has fished Elk for 30 years, and has caught smallies up to 7 pounds here. "Elk is one of the best spring and fall smallmouth lakes in the upper Midwest, yet it receives only light bass fishing pressure," he says. "It contains a large smallmouth population with many 3- to 4-pounders, and provides an excellent shot at a much bigger fish."

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Destination: Trophy Bronzebacks Of Elk Lake

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