Long Lake in Oakland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Long Lake belongs to Oakland County, Michigan. It sits at 925 feet above sea level. It measures about 170 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 2.4 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is among the larger waters listed here for Oakland County. For a base, Wolverine Lake sits 3.8 miles out. West Bloomfield Township lies 4.7 miles off, Walled Lake another 5.2 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Oakland County include bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Long Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near late March and comes back about mid December in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That is the shape of the year on Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Launch at Long Lake Boat Launch, half a mile from the water. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. The nearest alternative is Colley Lake, 0.4 miles out. For Long Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.