Fishing at Loon Lake, Clare County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Clare County, Michigan, this is Loon Lake. The setting is mixed forest on every side. With some 72 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 2.1 miles in total. On our Clare County list it sits near the top for size. Nearest town is Clare, 6.2 miles off. The nearest city of size is Grand Rapids, 78 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Loon Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Clare County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon and northern pike. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Loon Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 69°F; the cold one sits at 19°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Loon Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Gut Lake, 1.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Loon Lake in particular, ask before you travel.