Fishing at Cass Lake, Oakland County, Michigan

• Overview

  You will find Cass Lake in Oakland County, Michigan. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. About 1,311 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. At about 9.9 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Nothing else we list in Oakland County covers more water. The closest town, Keego Harbor, is 1.2 miles away. The big place round here is Sterling Heights, 17 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cass Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Oakland County cover bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Cass Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 22°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter locks it down, and late March brings it back. The lid tends to go about late March and return around mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Cass Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Dow Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Signs at Cass Lake carry more weight than any list.