Lac Vieux Desert Fishing
A 4,370-acre Michigan lake in Gogebic County.
Pick for muskellungePiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Lake Gogebic: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lac Vieux Desert in brief
The state lake layer measures Lac Vieux Desert at 4,370 acres; it lies in Gogebic County. For fuel and groceries, Watersmeet is about 11 miles off. It sits on the Upper Peninsula inside the Western Lake Superior Management Unit of the MDNR. It drains to the Wisconsin watershed in the Northern Lakes and Forests ecoregion.
The MDNR lists tiger muskellunge here. Trailers launch at 1 public launch. Summer satellite readings put clarity near 7.3 feet in 2023.
For the muskellunge herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 The fish list for Lac Vieux Desert
These fish come from MDNR records for Lac Vieux Desert: Fish Atlas collections from 1970 on, fishing site lists, stocking and records.
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, MDNR stocking table, checked October 2026. Older collections are history, not a current survey.
Where to launch on Lac Vieux Desert
- Lac Vieux Desert Boat Access2 lanes, 20 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport; Lake Gogebic State Park
Boat launches by Lac Vieux Desert
- Dinner Lake Boat AccessDinner Lake, 4 miles north
- Duck Lake Boat Access near WatersmeetDuck Lake, 6 miles northwest
- Tamarack Lake Boat Access near WatersmeetTamarack Lake, 10 miles northeast
MDNR Parks and Recreation boat access sites and MDNR fishing sites, checked October 2026.
Clarity trend at Lac Vieux Desert
EGLE averages Landsat images from July to September for Lac Vieux Desert; values are converted here from meters to feet.
Chlorophyll a in 2023: 10.29 micrograms per liter.
EGLE Michigan Inland Lakes Water Clarity layer (Landsat, July to September), checked October 2026. Depth is not published here: the layer depth fields are unreliable.
Limits and seasons for Lac Vieux Desert
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 5 in any combination; minimum 14 inches | Possession: Sat. before Memorial Day – Dec. 31; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Walleye (Upper Peninsula) | 5; minimum 15 inches | May 15 – March 15 |
| Northern pike (Upper Peninsula) | 2; minimum 24 inches | May 15 – March 15 |
| Muskellunge | Only 1 per angler per license year (April 1 – March 31); mandatory harvest registration within 24 hours; minimum 42 inches (46, 50 or 38 inches on listed waters) | Possession: 1st Sat. in June – March 15; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Yellow perch | 25 | Open all year |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 in any combination of the listed species | Open all year |
| Channel catfish | 10; minimum 12 inches | Open all year |
| Flathead catfish | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open all year |
| White bass | 10 | Open all year |
| Cisco and whitefish | 5 in any combination | Open all year |
| Burbot | 5 | Open all year |
| Trout in unclassified lakes | 5, no more than 3 of which may be 15 inches or greater; minimum 8 inches | Open all year |
Statewide rows for the Upper Peninsula are shown for Lac Vieux Desert; the trout row follows its MDNR lake Type when it has one.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), statewide tables and county exceptions, checked October 2026.
Michigan record book entries for Lac Vieux Desert
| Species | Weight lb | Length in | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Muskellunge | 51.19 | 54 | 1919 |
MDNR State Record Fish table (year only; no angler names printed). All Michigan records.
Neighbor lakes of Lac Vieux Desert, measured
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Clarity ft | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac Vieux Desert | 4,370 | 1 | 7.3 | 1 | |
| Dinner Lake | 4 miles north | 108 | 1 | 12.4 | 0 |
| Moon Lake, Gogebic County | 4 miles northwest | 95 | 0 | 14.8 | 0 |
| Imp Lake | 6 miles northeast | 91 | 0 | 8.9 | 0 |
| Duck Lake, Gogebic County | 6 miles northwest | 612 | 1 | 9.9 | 0 |
| Marsh Lake, Gogebic County | 7 miles northwest | 61 | 0 | 8.2 | 0 |
EGLE inland lake layer, MDNR access sites and Fish Atlas.
What sits close to Lac Vieux Desert
Lakes to try next to Lac Vieux Desert
- Dinner Lake4 miles north
- Moon Lake, Gogebic County4 miles northwest
- Imp Lake6 miles northeast
- Duck Lake, Gogebic County6 miles northwest
- Marsh Lake, Gogebic County7 miles northwest
Where to pick up bait for Lac Vieux Desert
- Laughing Loon Emporiumbait and tackle shop, Iron River, 24 miles
- The Sport Shopbait and tackle shop, Iron River, 24 miles
Charter captains and guides near Lac Vieux Desert
- Voyager Charterscharter, Bruce Crossing, (906) 827-3466
Towns that put you close to Lac Vieux Desert
- Watersmeet11 miles
- Iron River24 miles
- Caspian25 miles
The counties around Lac Vieux Desert
- Gogebic Countyseat: Bessemer
Piscifun spinning and baitcasting picks for Lac Vieux Desert
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Identifying the fish of Lac Vieux Desert
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Nick Loveland, CC0
Photo: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Eric Engbretson for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
What to know ahead of a day at Lac Vieux Desert
Which MDNR unit manages Lac Vieux Desert?
Gogebic County, Western Lake Superior Management Unit, about 11 miles from Watersmeet.
What surface area does EGLE give Lac Vieux Desert?
The state layer shows 4,370 acres.
Is there a ramp for trailers on Lac Vieux Desert?
1 public launch, led by Lac Vieux Desert Boat Access.
What bites in Lac Vieux Desert?
Expect tiger muskellunge.
What are the walleye limits on Lac Vieux Desert?
Walleye (Upper Peninsula): 5; minimum 15 inches; season May 15 – March 15.
What does a visitor from out of state pay for Lac Vieux Desert?
Anglers 17 and older carry a Michigan all-species fishing license: $26 a year for residents, $76 for nonresidents, $11 for seniors or $10 for one day.
How far can you see into Lac Vieux Desert?
About 7.3 feet of Secchi depth in 2023, from EGLE satellite data.
Which tackle store sits handiest to Lac Vieux Desert?
Laughing Loon Emporium is the nearest, 24 miles away.
Line up a day on Lac Vieux Desert
Michigan license prices and limits are one click away.