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

• Overview

  Plains Lake is a Schoolcraft County water, in Michigan. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Schoolcraft County. Manistique lies 11 miles from the water. After that come Munising at 27 miles and Gladstone at 39 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Plains Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Schoolcraft County, recorded fish include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater, yellow perch and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Plains Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 15°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about early December in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That shapes the year on Plains Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Kepler Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Plains Lake before loading the car.