Upper Silver Lake in Oakland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Upper Silver Lake falls in Oakland County, part of Michigan. The surface lies 945 feet up. Around 47 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. For a base, Pontiac sits 3.2 miles out. Sterling Heights sits 17 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Water in the same corner: Silver Lake 0.7 miles, Lake Angelus at 1 mile, Mohawk Lake 1.1 miles, Wormer Lake at 1.1 miles and Schoolhouse Lake 1.2 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Upper Silver Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass. The county list is broader than any single water. On Upper Silver Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually goes in late March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from late March until about mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Upper Silver Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Silver Lake, 0.7 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Upper Silver Lake for certain.