Fishing Fish Lake in Oakland County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Oakland County, Michigan, this is Fish Lake. What surrounds it is pine and birch. Roughly 76 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 1.7 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Few waters listed in Oakland County are bigger. Holly is the closest town at 6.5 miles. The big place round here is Ann Arbor, 30 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Oakland County names bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 70°F; by January the average is down near 22°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Fish Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Perch Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Fish Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.