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

• Overview

  McIntyre Lake lies within the bounds of Schoolcraft County, Michigan. It lies 656 feet above sea level. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Schoolcraft County list. Manistique at 11 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 143 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on McIntyre Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Schoolcraft County names rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater, yellow perch and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On McIntyre Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 16°F in January up to 65°F in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at McIntyre Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Mud Lake is 1.6 miles off. None of that is settled for McIntyre Lake in what we hold.