Fishing the Corner-Straits Chain of Lakes
The Corner-Straits Chain sits right at your doorstep at Hiawatha Snow'd Inn, and it's one of the better reasons to stay an extra day. Skeels, Corner, Straits and Deep Lakes are all connected and fishable, and the chain holds a solid mix of species including largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill and perch.
Fishing from the Property
The 48-foot dock is a good starting point. The shoreline stays fairly shallow, so casting from the dock gives you better reach into the lily pads and out into the channel where the fish tend to hold. We've pulled bass and pike from right here without ever leaving the property.
Getting Out on the Chain
The Corner Lake boat launch is about a mile away at Corner Lake Recreation Park. The lakes are all connected by channels, though some are easier to navigate than others. The channel from Corner Lake into Deep Lake is passable by pontoon. The connector into Straits Lake can be a different story, shallow enough where smaller boats and kayaks do considerably better on that stretch.
What You'll Need
A Michigan fishing license is required for anyone 17 and older. The 2026 season is open now, with licenses valid through March 31, 2027. A non-resident annual license runs $76, or you can pick up a daily license for $10. You can grab yours at Midway General about a mile up FH-13, or at Forest Glen General Store about 6.8 miles away. You can also buy online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app before you leave home.
A Note on Bass
Catch and release for bass is open all year, but the possession season opens May 23 statewide. If you're visiting before that date and planning to keep bass, hold off until after the 23rd.
Fishing the Chain in Fall
Fall is worth calling out on its own. As the water cools, walleye, pike, and bass all tend to feed harder, putting on reserves before winter, and that often means more aggressive strikes than you'll see in the heat of summer. Fish also tend to pull off the shallows and hold near structure, drop-offs, and the edges of the remaining weed beds as the season moves along, so it's worth working those areas rather than just the open shoreline. Slower presentations tend to out-fish fast retrieves once the water really starts to cool.
It's also just a quieter time to be out there. Boat traffic on the chain thins out considerably after Labor Day, so you're less likely to be sharing the water.
Regulations
For current size limits, slot limits and possession limits check the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations. Regulations can vary by specific water body so it's worth a quick look before you head out.
Hiawatha Snow'd Inn is open spring through fall. Check availability and book direct at hiawathasnowdinn.com.