Fishing at O'Neil Lake, Lapeer County, Michigan

• Overview

  You will find O'Neil Lake in Lapeer County, Michigan. Elevation runs to 807 feet. Surface area runs to about 2 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lapeer County list. 2.5 miles away sits Imlay City, the nearest town. Further out sit Almont (5 miles) and Capac (8 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on O'Neil Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Lapeer County include bluegill, largemouth bass and pink salmon. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read O'Neil Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 71°F and January near 22°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to O'Neil Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Mud Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. For O'Neil Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.