Fishing at Bog Lake, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  Bog Lake is one of the Schoolcraft County waters in Michigan. Elevation runs to 787 feet. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Schoolcraft County list. Nearest place of any size is Manistique, 19 miles away. Then Munising, 20 miles, and Gladstone, 29 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bog Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Schoolcraft County: rainbow smelt, alewife and bloater. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Bog Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 65°F and January about 15°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Bog Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Swamp Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Bog Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.