Stump Lake Fishing Guide, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  Stump Lake is listed under Schoolcraft County, Michigan. The surroundings are lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Schoolcraft County are larger. The town to know is Munising, 12 miles out. Green Bay is the closest city, 142 miles away. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Stump Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Schoolcraft County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater, yellow perch and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Stump Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 15°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. From about mid April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Stump Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Little Boot Lake, 2.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Stump Lake before loading the car.