Cedar Lake in Grand Traverse County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Cedar Lake in the Grand Traverse County part of Michigan. It sits at 807 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 51 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 1.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Some 8.3 miles away sits Greilickville, the nearest settlement. It is 111 miles to Green Bay, the nearest city. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Cedar Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Grand Traverse County cover rock bass, yellow perch and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Cedar Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 68°F, with January the cold end at about 20°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about mid December in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Cedar Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Boats go in at Cedar Lake Boat Launch, roughly half a mile from the water. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Whelock Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Cedar Lake for certain.