Half Moon Lake near Manchester: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Half Moon Lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Elevation runs to 896 feet. The closest town, Manchester, is 3.7 miles distant. Clinton is 5 miles and Tecumseh 8.9 miles. Nearest other option: Cranberry Lake sits 0.7 miles out, Lower Lake at 1.1 miles, Smalley Lake sits 1.6 miles out, Iron Mill Pond at 1.6 miles and Spring Lake sits 2.6 miles out. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Half Moon Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name bluegill, largemouth bass and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Half Moon Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 22°F to 71°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Half Moon Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Cranberry Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Half Moon Lake are worth checking on the day.