The lake known as Lake Ann sits in the northeastern section of Benzie County in Michigan's northwest Lower Peninsula, where beautiful woods and waters support an outdoor recreation culture. Almira Township's tiny Village of Lake Ann perches along the lake's eastern shoreline. A handful of shops and eateries provide basic supplies in this north-woods haven where anglers retreat to cast their lines and enjoy the tranquility of Lake Ann's quiet waters.
Lake Ann
- Lake Ann is a natural lake spanning 527 acres. You'll find the shallowest portion of the lake lies in its northern section. Here, water depths range between 10 and 20 feet. The deepest part of the lake is the central area, which measures about 75 feet in depth. The southern part of the lake is also one of Lake Ann's deeper areas, averaging about 70 feet in depth. Lake Ann is a part of the Platte River watershed, and anglers are among the beneficiaries of watershed protection efforts.
Access
- The Lake Ann State Forest Campground provides the only public access boat launch on the lake. The rustic campground sits along Lake Ann's western shores, a little more than 2 miles from Lake Ann Village. The hard-surfaced ramp is only suitable for launching smaller boats. The campground, near the shallow waters of the Platte River outlet, makes a good fishing spot for species that prefer weedy areas. You'll need a Michigan Recreation Passport to enter the park, and you can purchase one at a Michigan Secretary of State office.
Species
- Bass, one of America's most popular game fish, breeds in Lake Ann. Large and smallmouth bass prefer shallow, weedy areas such as the Platte River Outlet. Lake Ann is also home to a population of northern pike, which, like bass, prefer the weedy shallows. The bass, though, migrate to the deeper waters of central and southern Lake Ann as summer progresses. Lake Ann fishing also includes smelt, which are predominantly shoal spawners in Michigan waters. Smelt netting season peaks between mid-April and May, but hook and line fishing takes place year-round. Anglers employ lights after dark to attract smelt to the surface. The daily limit for smelt is 2 gallons, enough for a feast. Other species Lake Ann anglers cast for include perch, bluegill and pumpkinseed.
Platte River
- A Michigan Blue Ribbon Trout Stream, the Platte River flows through Lake Ann as it makes it way westward across Benzie County to its Lake Michigan outlet at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. While the Platte technically arises east of Lake Ann, it becomes a defined stream at Lake Ann's south-central shoreline. Anglers look forward to the Platte's coho salmon run to begin around Labor Day. The steelhead run begins in November, peaking in March and April.
