Fishing Jones Lake in Clinton County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Clinton County, Michigan, sits Jones Lake. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. 2.2 miles away sits Edgemont Park, the nearest town. Beyond it, Lansing at 2.5 miles and Waverly at 3.5 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Jones Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Clinton County list bluegill, pink salmon and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Jones Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 22°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Jones Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Lake Geneva is 4.7 miles distant. Signs at Jones Lake carry more weight than any list.