Fishing at McInnes Lake, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  McInnes Lake is a Schoolcraft County water, in Michigan. Everything around it is mixed forest. Small at around 19 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Munising sits 14 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Manistique is 23 miles and Gladstone 35 miles. If this one is busy: Center Lake at about 0.4 miles, Onega Lake 0.4 miles off, Coattail Lake at about 0.6 miles, Neds Lake 0.7 miles off and Klondike Lake at about 0.8 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on McInnes Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Schoolcraft County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The shape of McInnes Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in July and bottom out at 15°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan around that when you fish McInnes Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Center Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Treat McInnes Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.