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

• Overview

  Townline Lake is listed under Clare County, Michigan. Everything around it is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 34 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Harrison sits 3.7 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Grand Rapids, 88 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Townline Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Clare County include bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon, northern pike and black crappie. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Townline Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 18°F to 68°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Townline Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Icehouse Lake, 0.5 miles away. Signs at Townline Lake carry more weight than any list.