Clear Lake Fishing in Saint Joseph County, Michigan

• Overview

  Clear Lake is listed under Saint Joseph County, Michigan. This is rolling bush ground. Surface area is around 245 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. There is roughly 3.3 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Few waters listed in Saint Joseph County are bigger. Nearest place of any size is Three Rivers, 5.1 miles away. The nearest city of size is South Bend, 32 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Saint Joseph County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and pink salmon. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Clear Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 23°F in January up to 72°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late March and comes back about mid December in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Clear Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Clear Lake Boat Launch is the mapped launch, some half a mile from here. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Mud Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Clear Lake.