Hopkins Lake Fishing near Owosso, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Hopkins Lake falls inside Shiawassee County. It sits at 758 feet above sea level. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Owosso sits 1.3 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Lansing is the closest city, 25 miles away. Round about: Manitou Lake 4 miles, Cummings Lakes just 4.4 miles, Hemingway Lake 8.8 miles, North Lakes just 9.3 miles and Wolf Lake 9.7 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hopkins Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Shiawassee County list bluegill, northern pike, largemouth bass, pink salmon and yellow perch. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Hopkins Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 70°F and January near 21°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Hopkins Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Manitou Lake sits 4 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Hopkins Lake if anything is unclear.