By Milton F. Whitmore
Hamlin Lake, north of Ludington, offers a 5,000-acre angler’s banquet of warmwater fish species, such as large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, perch, walleye and northern pike. With depths of under 10 feet to more than 70 feet, Hamlin offers a range of fishing experiences.
DNR surveys have shown the wisdom of an aggressive stocking program for walleye and the lake produces these tasty fish with regularity. Zebra mussels, a well-stocked larder of baitfish, and other food sometimes makes for tough fishing conditions, especially for ice anglers. The Narrows, which separates the two basins of this lake, as well as breaklines to the west of North, Middle, and South bayous, are prime areas for these “golden eyes.” Nighttime trolling – with bottom-bouncing Lindy Rigs, using crawlers, leeches, or minnows – works well in the many shelf areas under 10 feet. Drifting weedlines with leeches is also effective in summer.
Panfish – including yellow perch, specks, and bluegills – are a year ’round mainstay on this lake. While not noted as a lunker perch and crappie lake, Hamlindoes offer respectable catches of both species. Again, find the weedbeds and you’ll find these fish. Minnows and tube jigs are reliable choices during all seasons. My preference on the ice has been some sort of chartreuse teardrop with a red eye. Maybe it’s my abiding faith in this color combo that makes me use it more and work it effectively. Given the choice of one ice lure, mine would be this one – tipped with a wax worm, wiggler or minnow.
The cooling water that October brings turns fish into feeding machines as they take on foodstuffs in preparation for the icy cold of winter. Competition from boating traffic, as well as other anglers, is non-existent. Bluegills, and I speak of some real slab-sided ’gills, are there for the taking. While mid-May through June offers the best fishing for large fish as they move into the shallows, they are there for the taking in all seasons, with winter hard water anglers accounting for as many as their warm-weather brethren. The three small bayous on the east side of Lower Hamlin, as well as Indian Pete Bayou off Upper Hamlin, draw boats during the open water months and ice fisherman seek these areas in winter. Water clarity, due to zebra mussel importation, may cause the wise fisherman to go light in line, lure, and bait offering. It may be a good idea to keep a handy supply of two-pound test monofilament in your tackle box, especially in the winter.
Both large and smallmouth bass swim these waters. And while the lake is not noted for throwing large fish, there are plenty of 14-inch and larger fish around to keep any fishing guru happy for hours. Key on the weedlines and the areas of break points along the drops. The broad shelf off Ludington State Park will draw nighttime bass and should be probed. Nightcrawlers, boosted with an injection of air to keep them above the weeds and slowly worked in the nooks and crannies of underwater vegetation, are worth mentioning. Lower Hamlin is more noted for smallmouths than the upper lake, but the latter is better suited for largemouths. Spinner baits as well as crankbaits (for smallmouths) should produce. When all else fails, I find that a gold/black Rapala-type lure can fill a stringer if worked in the right areas.
The four bayous also offer a little-used fishery – nighttime surface plug plunking for bucket-mouth bass who steal their way into the shallows after the sun sets, and the noise of daylight boaters recedes into the still and cooling air. The noisy gurgle and plop of a well-worked plug will draw the attention and ravenous strike of a bass bent on gulping an easy meal. Ply the waters between boat docks and right up to shore, especially after midnight, and the persevering angler can be rewarded with topnotch surface action for bass.
A well-kept secret: the existence of some Master Angler qualifying channel catfish in Hamlin. A large sucker minnow fished on the bottom off the Sable River outlet near the state park has proven effective for this whiskered, secretive fish. Deep-fried channel cat fillets are a delight. Night fishing is suggested, as these fish move from the deeper holes up to shelf water to gobble baitfish and crayfish. Be sure to give the inlet of the Sable River, at the eastern end of the upper lake, a try also.
