Sutherland Lake in Clare County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Sutherland Lake in Clare County, Michigan. It lies 1,102 feet above sea level. At about 75 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 2.4 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is among the larger waters listed here for Clare County. Harrison at 1.5 miles is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Clare (14 miles) and Gladwin (14 miles). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Sutherland Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Clare County include bluegill, largemouth bass and pink salmon. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Sutherland Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 18°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near early December in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Sutherland Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Deer Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. For Sutherland Lake in particular, ask before you travel.