Little Bass Lake near Manistique: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Out in Schoolcraft County, Michigan, sits Little Bass Lake. Everything around it is mixed forest. Roughly 79 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The closest town, Manistique, is 17 miles away. Further out sit Munising (20 miles) and Gladstone (35 miles). More in the same country: Bell Lake roughly 0.2 miles, Cedar Lake at 0.7 miles, Neighbor Lake roughly 1.1 miles, Bass Lake at 1.1 miles and Three Island Lake roughly 1.1 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Little Bass Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. 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. Public occurrence data for Schoolcraft County names rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Little Bass Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 15°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Time your trip to Little Bass Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Bell Lake is 0.2 miles off. Treat Little Bass Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.