Fishing at Nestor Lakes, Clare County, Michigan

• Overview

  Nestor Lakes is a Clare County water, in Michigan. It sits in rolling bush. It runs to roughly 30 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The closest town, Harrison, is 8.1 miles distant. The nearest city of size is Lansing, 85 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Nestor Lakes

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. 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 Clare County names bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon, northern pike and black crappie. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Nestor Lakes for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 69°F, with January the cold end at about 19°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Nestor Lakes by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Drachenburg Lake is 2.2 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Nestor Lakes.