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

• Overview

  The Oakland County end of Michigan holds Upper Straits Lake. It sits at 932 feet above sea level. Roughly 374 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Some 5.0 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Few waters listed in Oakland County are bigger. Nearest town is West Bloomfield Township, 0.9 miles off. Sterling Heights sits 19 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Upper Straits Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Oakland County include bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Take Upper Straits Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 72°F, the coldest about 23°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. Open water usually runs from late March until about late December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Upper Straits Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. 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. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Woodpecker Lake, 0.7 miles away.