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I have been to the upper peninsula a number of times and some trips have been amazing, but some have been so swarmed with biting flies or smaller swarms of black flies that it was difficult to enjoy anything. I don't want to go in winter.
Outside of winter, when is the least buggy time to visit? Are there predictable times when the more annoying insects tend to spawn?
Tldr: best avoid hiking in the UP mid may until august.
Based on personal experience there are two main bugs to avoid in the UP. The black flies and the mosquitos. Black flies are the worse of the two as they will bite you through thick layers.
Both bugs require standing water to hatch, and have a few days before they can fly. Avoiding wet and warm months is better for this reason. After august high humidity days that both enjoy are few and far between. After large rainstorms are the worst.
This post asking a similar question gives about the same advice.
