Susin Lake in Oakland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Susin Lake in the Oakland County part of Michigan. This is lake country bush ground. Roughly 50 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. For supplies, Clarkston is 3.6 miles out. For a city, Sterling Heights is 26 miles off. Nearby alternatives: Dixie Lake 0.6 miles, Bridge Lake roughly 0.9 miles, Wau-Me-Gah Lake 1.3 miles, Softwater Lake roughly 1.4 miles and Knox Lake 1.6 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Susin Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Oakland County: bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Susin Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 70°F and January near 22°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Susin Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Dixie Lake, 0.6 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Susin Lake.