Fishing at Tek Lake, Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Schoolcraft County, Michigan, sits Tek Lake. Elevation runs to 876 feet. It covers about 22 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 19 miles from Newberry. Further out sit Munising (38 miles) and Manistique (42 miles). If this one is busy: Twin Lakes at 0.8 miles, Tahquamenon Lakes roughly 0.8 miles, Frank Lake at 1.1 miles, Marsh Lakes roughly 1.1 miles and Perch Lake at 1.3 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Tek Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Schoolcraft County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater, yellow perch and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Tek Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 64°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early December in an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Tek Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Twin Lakes sits 0.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Tek Lake before loading the car.