Pierce Lake in Washtenaw County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Pierce Lake is one of the Washtenaw County waters in Michigan. Height above sea level is 902 feet. Surface area is around 32 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Start from Chelsea, 1.1 miles down the road. Ann Arbor is the closest city, 14 miles away. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Pierce Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Washtenaw County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, rock bass and black crappie. The county list is broader than any single water. On Pierce Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 22°F to 71°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages suggest open water from about late March through to roughly mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Pierce Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, McLaughlin Lake at 3.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Pierce Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.