Duck Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Duck Lake is set in Oakland County, Michigan. It sits in pine and birch country. At about 35 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Oxford is the closest place, 1.8 miles off. Lake Orion follows at 2.1 miles, then Auburn Hills at 8 miles. Also within reach: Indianwood Lake after 0.6 miles, Manito Lake 0.9 miles off, Powell Lake after 0.9 miles, Spring Lake 1.1 miles off and Howell Lake after 1.1 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Duck Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Duck Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 70°F and January at 22°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Anyone fishing Duck Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Indianwood Lake is 0.6 miles off. Check the position on Duck Lake before loading the car.