Colley Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Oakland County, Michigan, sits Colley Lake. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. At about 87 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.1 miles on foot. Few waters listed in Oakland County are bigger. Wolverine Lake lies 4.2 miles from the water. West Bloomfield Township is 4.9 miles and Orchard Lake 5.4 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Colley Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Oakland County include bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Colley Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 71°F; the cold one sits at 22°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. Ice usually gives way near late March, and forms again about mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Colley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a slipway on the shore, 160 yards from the water we list. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Long Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Colley Lake carry more weight than any list.