Fishing Devil Lake in Clare County, Michigan

• Overview

  Devil Lake sits in Clare County, out in Michigan. It sits at 948 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Clare County. The closest town, Clare, is 6.3 miles distant. Further out sit Harrison (11 miles) and Coleman (16 miles). Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Devil Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Clare County include bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon, northern pike and black crappie. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Devil Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 69°F and January near 19°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Devil Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Thurston Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Devil Lake before loading the car.