Square Lake Fishing Guide, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Schoolcraft County, Michigan, this is Square Lake. The ground around here is pine and birch. At roughly 7 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is a small entry by Schoolcraft County standards. Manistique at 15 miles is the nearest place to stop. Green Bay sits 130 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Square Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Schoolcraft County include rainbow smelt, alewife and bloater. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Square Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 15°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Square Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Molly Lake sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. For Square Lake in particular, ask before you travel.