Fishing at Tooley Lake, Oakland County, Michigan

• Overview

  Tooley Lake falls in Oakland County, part of Michigan. It sits at 909 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 14 acres — small enough to read in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Holly, 1.5 miles off. For a city, Sterling Heights is 34 miles off. What else is close: Drake Lake about 0.2 miles, 0.5 miles out stands Bush Lake, Rice Lake about 0.7 miles, 0.8 miles out stands Crotched Lake and Little Crotched Lake about 1.1 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Tooley Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Oakland County, recorded fish include bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Tooley Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 70°F and January at 22°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Tooley Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Drake Lake is 0.2 miles off. Ask locally about Tooley Lake if anything is unclear.