Milakokia Lake ??

[dakota]

Anyone have any info on Milakokia Lake in the UP? It is by Curtis, just off US-2. I thought I read some where that it is a mercury lake.

[shametamer]

i used to have property there..no mercury that i'm aware of, haven't fished her much in last few years..cormorants,expanded campground have taken their toll on fish populations..still harbors large perch,albeit few n far between..smallies, walleyes if u can find them, and northerns that tend to run on the small side.it is the southern most in a loose chain that starts at round(north manistique), big mani, south mani, then milakokia.the DNR probably manages her less that the former 3..20 foot about max depth..sand shores,except far northern bay, which is muck.......lots of weed.good swimming type areas..good launch with courtesy pier at the state forest campgrond,couple of resorts at northern end..but the mercury would be a new one on me, not sayin its not there, but have found mercury more in the minig related type of impoundments in the yooper...the walleye bite is primarily a 'weed walleye' thing..often find them suspended right on top of thick patches barely a few feet under........not cottaged around like some in the eastern u.p....launch is easy to find a couple miles south off u.s.2 and well marked.....should you decide to camp there..watch out for the raccoons,they can be devilish!

[trout]

I watched some bank fishermen catch nice eater size walleye and pike, while we were deer hunting.

[shametamer]

geez Trout! whatcha doin up there deer huntin? gotta b close to 300 miles from home for you! Would have thought there are lots better spots, lots closer to you.

[dakota]

thanks shametamer for the info- I can't remember where I read the mercury thing, maybe it was some other lake, I hope. I am thinking of staying there for a week this summer.

[trout]

geez Trout! whatcha doin up there deer huntin? gotta b close to 300 miles from home for you! Would have thought there are lots better spots, lots closer to you.

We went early for grouse and ducks and stayed for deer once.
If I were to do it again I'd go during ML season.
Your right tho more deer nearer to my house :)
Still it's nice to get away and try new spots.

[shametamer]

ya ever chase the bear or coon up that away?...or the smallie fishin right of aux chenes(right after the spawn)?......buddy and I used to C & R....60 to 80 lbs worth before they headed out to summer haunts..blast on lite line,long rods....geez if i could only catch eyes like that!..lol

[shametamer]

anytime Dakota! :) and if the fishin is slow ..south manistique and lake millecoquins are a short hop....might save the day!......................p.s. now if u can just lead me to the hotspots in some of those lakes up your way....i need to whip;dr. wink,trailfndr,gillgetter,wild bill,jimbobway,flinch,scotty hoover and ozzgood on thursday nites!.lol :mischeif:

[cos_man99]

I have fished it one week per year for the last 7 years. I have taken a vacation in mid June for the past 7 years. I cannot speak for the rest of the year but I can say that in mid June it is very much hit and miss on MIlakokia. I have fished it with live bait (suckers, minnows, crawlers). I have fished it with artificial (spinner baits for pike, rogues for walleye and smallies). Some years it is great. Others it is really slow. The pike do tend to be on the small side. One year I caught 75 in three days all on spinner baits, all under 25 inches. The next year I caught next to nothing.

Cormorants are a real problem in the UP and we did see some the last time they were there. DNR spent years stocking the lake with walleye to knock down the pike population (It used to be called pike lake) but I think the pike are still winning the survival of the fittest.

It gets windy and wavy. Not much cover. Big round bowl of a lake.

Good luck. It is beautiful up there.