Pickett Lake Fishing in Oakland County, Michigan

• Overview

  Pickett Lake is one of the Oakland County listings for Michigan. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. At roughly 13 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The nearest place of any size is Milford, 3.5 miles away. Ann Arbor sits 21 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Pickett Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Oakland County include bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Pickett Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 71°F and January at 22°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Pickett Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Sloan Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Pickett Lake if anything is unclear.