Fishing Mill Lake in Washtenaw County, Michigan

• Overview

  Washtenaw County, Michigan, is where Mill Lake sits. It sits at 951 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 134 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. About 1.9 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On our Washtenaw County list it sits near the top for size. Some 3.5 miles away sits Chelsea, the nearest settlement. Ann Arbor is the closest city, 18 miles away. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Mill Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Washtenaw County names bluegill, largemouth bass and rock bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Mill Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mill Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. A toilet block sits 0.9 miles away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Spring Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Mill Lake in what we hold.