ESPN Freshwater

ONAWAY, Mich. — The tenth largest lake in Michigan, Black Lake is located in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula bordering Charlevoix and Presque counties.

The lake is famous for its sturgeon spearing in February and the year-round great walleye fishing.

What many anglers are unaware of are the fantastic musky and pike fishing and the abundance of average-size perch. "Each February an ice-fishing festival is held while the sturgeon fishing is under way," said Jim Riggetts of Black River Party Store (989-733-2480).

If you're not lucky enough to draw a sturgeon spearing tag, pull pike like this one through the Black Lake ice with tip-ups or jigs.

Once five sturgeon have been speared, the season closes. These fish can easily reach 5 feet, and 100-pound fish are not uncommon.

There's also excellent musky action here; in January two musky pushing 30 pounds were weighed in.

A half-dozen pike were also caught that were not far from the magical 40-inch mark.

Area 1

The north end of the lake in the weedbeds is a hot spot for perch and walleye.

The Doriva Beach area and the area near the mouth of the Black River have some real nice cabbage weeds and grass weeds.

Locating green weeds is very important. Most anglers use minnows or jigging spoons when fishing this area.

The river is also a draw near the end of the season, which is March 15. Walleye run up the river to spawn.

"Walleye love the sharp drop-offs found along the west end of the lake," Riggetts said.

The depth drops from the 10- to 12-foot range into the 30-foot range quickly.

Jigging spoons such as the Zip Spoon and the Swedish Pimple worked vertically along the drop-offs produces many fish.

Pike and musky are residents of this area. The weeds and the baitfish are the drawing cards for these toothy predators.

Some anglers love to spear pike, while others enjoy tip-ups worked with a lively shiner or sucker minnow.

Area 2

"Walleye fishing can be fantastic after dark," said Riggetts.

The best area is along the Onaway State Park. Go a quarter-mile east of the park and close to a mile to the west for the best night fishing.

The entire shoreline is rocky, and the walleye move into the 4 to 6-foot depths feeding on the minnow and crawfish.

During the spring, expect to see a dozen anglers lined up along the shoreline. During the winter you will be lucky to see a few anglers.

"Tip-ups and jigging spoons work real well along the steep drop-offs," Riggetts said.

Jigging gets the nod when hitting the flats.

Willow spoons from Bait Rigs and the Normark Jigging Rapala are popular lures when targeting active shallow water fish.

Area 3

"Muskies in the 40- to 45-inch range and busting the 30-pound range are caught fairly regular," Riggetts said.

The best area for both musky and the large population of northern pike is on the north end of the lake.

This area is located where the Lower Black River empties out of the lake and where the Upper Black River enters.

This large bay has a slow tapering depth with a ton of cabbage weeds.

Anglers use huge sucker minnows often pushing the footmark when targeting musky and monster pike. Big fish and big baits go hand in hand.

Spoons already mentioned but in the larger sizes are used when jigging. Bonus walleye are caught while fishing this area.

With a ton of forage and great coverage, walleye are caught cruising for an easy meal.

Area 4

This area is home to some of the tightest contour lines on the lake. During the depths of winter both walleye and perch are found cruising the depths.

Walleye love the steep breaks, and perch love the deep flats. Perch love bright colored teardrops and spoons.

Some of the better baits include HT Marmooshka, K&E ice flies, Custom Jigs Rat Finkees, HT Walleye jig and the mini Airplane Jig from Northland.

Tipping with a small minnow or a piece of flesh helps.

Other extras to draw perch include colored beads and colored pieces of yarn.

Concentrate on the areas where a change occurs. Rock to sand, weeds to no weeds, an open pocket or piece of sand grass bordering the cabbage weeds.

Any of these types of structures will produce fish.

Bobcat hunting

"When fishing gets tiring, hunters will find excitement with bobcats and snowshoe hares," Riggetts said.

Bobcat hunting in Cheboygen County isn't widely practiced, but it is a serious sport that is extremely challenging.

"Cedar swamps would be the first choice and the thicker the better," Riggetts said.

This tangled mess of overgrown tree limbs and boot-sucking muck is a real challenge for the hunter.

Frozen ground is much easier to travel over, but you never know when a pocket of water will soak your legs.

Cheboygen County has ample land to roam. The best way to start is with a county map and a slow ride getting aquatinted with the cedar swamps and the two-tracks.

South of Burt and Mullett Lake, hunters will find thousands of acres to hunt.

The town of Wolverine sits in the center of this section and there are huge tracts of public ground just west of town.

I-75 runs north-south through this area. This section of ground runs 6 miles by 13 miles and borders Emmet County.

The second area borders the west side of Black Lake. This area covers an area 5 miles by 6 miles.

The town of Tower sits on the southeast end of this section.

The largest tract of public ground is located south of Tower, east of Wolverine and borders Otsego and Presque counties. This area is 9 miles by 13 miles.

Numerous floodings are located in this area and many sections are roadless.

Most hunters use hounds, and any hunter who thinks that the use of a dog is easy best try to keep up.

The dogs will follow a cat anywhere and everywhere. Hunters barely venture from the truck into the cedars and question why they are here.

Find out what you are missing and give bobcat hunting a try.

Hunters without a dog set up in locations where visibility is decent. Using distress calls like a rabbit squealing will bring in a wary cat.

Extremely challenging with or without a hound, this is one great sport. Many hunters never shoot the cat, instead placing more emphasis on the chase.

Check in with Riggetts to stay current on the sturgeon count and the updated bobcat regulations.

Spending time near Onaway and Black Lake is a winter adventure.

From the monster sturgeon and musky to the tasty perch and walleye and the excitement of a bobcat hunt, anglers and hunters should have a blast.

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