Fishing at Center Lake, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  Center Lake is one of the Schoolcraft County waters in Michigan. It lies 778 feet above sea level. Small at around 7 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Schoolcraft County standards. The nearest town is Munising, 14 miles away. The big place round here is Green Bay, 139 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Center Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Schoolcraft County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Center Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 65°F and January reads 15°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Center Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Neds Lake is 0.2 miles off. Where Center Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.