Canfield Lake in Washtenaw County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Canfield Lake is a Washtenaw County water, in Michigan. It sits at 925 feet above sea level. It covers about 3 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Washtenaw County standards. Chelsea sits 2.5 miles from the bank. Ann Arbor sits 16 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Canfield Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Washtenaw County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass, rock bass and black crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Canfield Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 22°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Canfield Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Clarks Lake is 0.4 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Canfield Lake for certain.