Fishing Brooks Lake in Oakland County, Michigan

• Overview

  Brooks Lake is an Oakland County water, Michigan side. The water sits 1,010 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 21 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest place of any size is Oxford, 5.8 miles away. Sterling Heights sits 22 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Brooks Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Oakland County list bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Treat Brooks Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 21°F at the bottom of winter. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Brooks Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Clack Lake, 0.7 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Brooks Lake.