Fishing at Slating Lake, Oakland County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Slating Lake in Oakland County, Michigan. The ground around here is pine and birch. The water covers some 40 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Some 6 miles away sits Almont, the nearest settlement. It is 22 miles to Sterling Heights, the nearest city. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Slating Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Slating Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 22°F to 70°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Slating Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. This sits inside Watershed Preserve, so read the reserve notices first. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Mud Lake, 0.4 miles out. Nothing on Slating Lake should be assumed from this page alone.