Simonson Lake Fishing near Holly, Michigan

• Overview

  Simonson Lake is an Oakland County water, in Michigan. It sits in pine and birch. Small at around 12 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Holly lies 0.2 miles from the water. After that come Fenton at 4.1 miles and Lake Fenton at 5.6 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive. The bank is open in stretches and thick in others.

• Where to Fish on Simonson Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Oakland County cover bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Simonson Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 22°F in January to roughly 70°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Simonson Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. A picnic area is mapped about half a mile away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Stiffs Mill Pond, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Simonson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.