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

• Overview

  In Michigan, Riker Lake falls inside Washtenaw County. The bank is 915 feet above sea level. The water covers some 42 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 0.9 miles, and most of it is walkable. The town to know is Chelsea, 4 miles out. The big place round here is Ann Arbor, 14 miles distant. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Riker Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Washtenaw County: bluegill, largemouth bass, rock bass, black crappie and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Riker Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 71°F for July and 22°F for January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. Ice usually gives way near late March, and forms again about mid December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Riker Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, West Lake is 1.1 miles off. Rules at Riker Lake are worth checking on the day.