Fishing at Clear Lake, Oakland County, Michigan

• Overview

  Clear Lake is set in Oakland County, Michigan. The bank gives way to pine and birch. Around 33 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Oxford sits 1.7 miles from the bank. Beyond it, Lake Orion at 3.4 miles and Ortonville at 8 miles. Within a short run: Long Lake at about 0.2 miles, Cedar Lake within 0.3 miles, Squaw Lake at about 0.3 miles, Spring Lake within 0.5 miles and Davis Lake at about 0.6 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Oakland County list bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Clear Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 70°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Clear Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Long Lake, 0.2 miles away. Ask locally about Clear Lake if anything is unclear.