Cedar Lake near Pinckney: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Cedar Lake stands in Livingston County, Michigan. The bank gives way to mixed forest. It measures about 69 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The bank runs about 1.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Pinckney lies 5.5 miles from the water. The big place round here is Ann Arbor, 22 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Cedar Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Livingston County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Cedar Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 22°F in January to roughly 70°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late March. Averages suggest open water from about late March through to roughly mid December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Cedar Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Grass Lake, 1.1 miles out. None of that is settled for Cedar Lake in what we hold.