Fishing Johnny Lake in Clare County, Michigan

• Overview

  Johnny Lake sits within Clare County in Michigan. The bank is 951 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Clare County. Clare is the closest place, 6.7 miles off. The nearest city of size is Grand Rapids, 75 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Johnny Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Clare County include bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Johnny Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 69°F, with January the cold end at about 19°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Johnny Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The water borders Alta Warren Parsons Memorial Nature Sanctuary, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Little Loon Lake sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Johnny Lake may have changed since it was mapped.