Fishing Dunham Lake in Clare County, Michigan

• Overview

  Dunham Lake sits in Clare County, out in Michigan. The surface lies 1,168 feet up. The water measures roughly 4 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Clare County list. For a base, Harrison sits 5.8 miles out. Gladwin is 14 miles away, with Prudenville at 15 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Dunham Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Clare County include bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon and northern pike. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Dunham Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 18°F and July at about 67°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. On average, early April opens the water and early December closes it again. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Dunham Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Arnold Lake, 1.6 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Dunham Lake for certain.