Fishing West Branch Lakes in Schoolcraft County, Michigan

• Overview

  This water sits in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Schoolcraft County. Newberry is the closest place, 20 miles off. For a city, Green Bay is 178 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on West Branch Lakes

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Schoolcraft County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At West Branch Lakes the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 64°F and January about 16°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on West Branch Lakes rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Martindary Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to West Branch Lakes locally before you travel.