Fishing at Coolaw Lakes, Delta County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Delta County, Michigan, sits Coolaw Lakes. The water sits 738 feet up. The water measures roughly 7 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Delta County standards. The nearest place of any size is Manistique, 20 miles away. Then Gladstone, 21 miles, and Escanaba, 26 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Coolaw Lakes

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name white sucker, alewife, rock bass and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Coolaw Lakes gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 15°F on the long-run figures. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Coolaw Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Cache Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. For Coolaw Lakes, the notice at the access point is the final word.