Fishing at Side Lake, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Schoolcraft County entry here is Side Lake, in Michigan. The ground around here is lake country bush. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Schoolcraft County standards. Munising sits 18 miles from the bank. It is 135 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Side Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater, yellow perch and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Side Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 65°F and January near 15°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Side Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Boats go in at Triangle Lake Boat Launch, roughly half a mile from the water. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Triangle Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Side Lake.