Hi-Land Lake Fishing near Pinckney, Michigan

• Overview

  The Livingston County entry here is Hi-Land Lake, in Michigan. The country here is pine and birch. With some 114 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is little indentation to the bank, so wind hits most of it the same way. It is among the larger waters listed here for Livingston County. Start from Pinckney, 3.3 miles down the road. Ann Arbor is the closest city, 16 miles away. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hi-Land Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. 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. Survey and observation records for Livingston County include bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Hi-Land Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 71°F, while January sits near 22°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hi-Land Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. There are toilets half a mile off. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Crooked Lake is 0.7 miles off.