Bertha Lake Fishing near Harrison, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Bertha Lake in the Clare County part of Michigan. Everything around it is rolling bush. It runs to roughly 42 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Bank access stretches around 1.9 miles in total. For supplies, Harrison is 7.5 miles out. Grand Rapids is the closest city, 78 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Bertha Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Clare County include bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Bertha Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 68°F and January near 18°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about early December in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Bertha Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed 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. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Bungo Lake at 1 mile is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Bertha Lake.