Cedar Island Lake in Oakland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Oakland County, Michigan, this is Cedar Island Lake. The ground around here is mixed forest. It measures about 167 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge runs 3.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It ranks high for size among our Oakland County listings. Wolverine Lake is the closest town at 5.1 miles. For a city, Sterling Heights is 23 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Cedar Island Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Oakland County records list bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and yellow perch among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Cedar Island Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 71°F for July and 22°F for January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late March. Climate figures give an open season running late March to mid December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Cedar Island Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Mandon Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Cedar Island Lake carry more weight than any list.