Curtis Lake Fishing near Northville, Michigan

• Overview

  This water sits in Wayne County, Michigan. The bank is 797 feet above sea level. At roughly 16 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Northville at 1.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. Novi is 3.4 miles away, with Plymouth at 4.3 miles. Also worth knowing: Waterford Pond 1.3 miles, Phoenix Lake within 2.7 miles, Newburgh Lake 4.8 miles, Mud Pond within 5.3 miles and Walled Lake 6.1 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Curtis Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Wayne County, recorded fish include common carp, goldfish, bluegill, yellow perch and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. At Curtis Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 72°F and January about 23°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near late December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Curtis Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Boat access is recorded roughly 170 yards away. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Mapping shows a jetty some 160 yards off. Toilets show in mapping about 0.9 miles away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Waterford Pond is 1.3 miles distant. Rules at Curtis Lake are worth checking on the day.