Fishing at Lake Enola, Clare County, Michigan

• Overview

  Lake Enola sits within Clare County in Michigan. The bank gives way to pine and birch. It covers about 18 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Head to Harrison, 6.4 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 81 miles to Grand Rapids, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lake Enola

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Clare County cover bluegill, largemouth bass and pink salmon. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Lake Enola light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 68°F, with January the cold end at about 19°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. The season between ice runs from about early April to mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Lake Enola regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Beebe Lake is 0.9 miles off. The position on Lake Enola is worth confirming on the day.