Woodruff Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Woodruff Lake is a Schoolcraft County water, Michigan side. The land about it is pine and birch. At roughly 11 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Michigan listings. The closest town, Manistique, is 6.3 miles distant. After that come Munising at 31 miles and Gladstone at 38 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Woodruff Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Schoolcraft County names rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and yellow perch. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Read Woodruff Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 15°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about mid April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Woodruff Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Smith Slough at 1.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Woodruff Lake before loading the car.