Fishing at McDonald Lake, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Schoolcraft County, Michigan, sits McDonald Lake. It stands 597 feet above sea level. About 1,432 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The edge covers about 7.1 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. Size puts it in the front rank of our Schoolcraft County list. Manistique is the closest town at 13 miles. After that come Newberry at 34 miles and Munising at 44 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on McDonald Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Schoolcraft County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. McDonald Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 65°F on average, January about 17°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on McDonald Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Launch at Mcdonald.lake Boat Launch, half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Little Muddy Lake at 1.5 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at McDonald Lake may have changed since it was mapped.