Cavanaugh Lake Fishing near Chelsea, Michigan

• Overview

  The Washtenaw County end of Michigan holds Cavanaugh Lake. Height above sea level is 965 feet. At about 197 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 2.2 miles in total. Few waters listed in Washtenaw County are bigger. The nearest town is Chelsea, 4 miles away. Grass Lake lies 7.4 miles off, Stockbridge another 10 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Cavanaugh Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Washtenaw County: bluegill, largemouth bass and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Cavanaugh Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 22°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Open water usually runs from late March until about mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Expect Cavanaugh Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. Facilities run to toilets 0.9 miles from the water. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Mud Lakes is 0.5 miles distant. None of that is settled for Cavanaugh Lake in what we hold.