Crooked Lake Fishing near Clarkston, Michigan

• Overview

  Within Oakland County, Michigan, you have Crooked Lake. The surface lies 1,027 feet up. At about 67 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.0 miles on foot. Clarkston lies 3 miles from the water. Beyond it, Ortonville at 5.8 miles and Waterford at 5.8 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Oakland County names bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Crooked Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 22°F in January and 70°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Crooked Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Public data records a boat ramp 170 yards out. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. There is a mapped landing stage 50 yards away. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Whipple Lake at 0.9 miles is the sensible second choice. For Crooked Lake in particular, ask before you travel.