Dana Lake in Schoolcraft County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Schoolcraft County in Michigan is where Dana Lake sits. Land around it is mixed forest. It measures about 85 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 2.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It ranks high for size among our Schoolcraft County listings. For a base, Munising sits 21 miles out. It is 129 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Dana Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Schoolcraft County records list rainbow smelt, alewife and bloater among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Dana Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 15°F in January up to 65°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Dana Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Dana Lake Boat Launch is the mapped launch, some half a mile from here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Plumbob Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Dana Lake in what we hold.