Long Lake near Level Park-Oak Park: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  In Michigan, Long Lake falls inside Barry County. It sits at 909 feet above sea level. At about 67 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nearest place of any size is Level Park-Oak Park, 7.7 miles away. Lansing is the closest city, 39 miles away. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Barry County records list bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and pink salmon among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Treat Long Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 22°F to 71°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Long Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Bristol Lake at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Long Lake should be assumed from this page alone.