Fishing Molly Lake in Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  Within Schoolcraft County, Michigan, you have Molly Lake. It sits in rolling bush. At 10 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Schoolcraft County standards. Some 15 miles away sits Manistique, the nearest settlement. Munising is 24 miles away, with Gladstone at 29 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Molly Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Schoolcraft County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Molly Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 15°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That shapes the year on Molly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Carr Lake, 0.4 miles away. Treat Molly Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.