Fishing Mill Pond in Livingston County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Livingston County, Michigan, sits Mill Pond. The surface lies 886 feet up. It covers about 21 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. For a base, Pinckney sits 0.2 miles out. It is 16 miles to Ann Arbor, the nearest city. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Mill Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Livingston County names bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Mill Pond the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 71°F, the coldest about 22°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Mill Pond rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Barber Lakes at 1.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Mill Pond.