Walnut Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Michigan holds Walnut Lake, in Oakland County. The country here is lake country bush. About 258 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. A shoreline of some 3.0 miles keeps the choices simple. On our Oakland County list it sits near the top for size. Orchard Lake at 2.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, West Bloomfield Township at 2.7 miles and Franklin at 3 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Walnut Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Oakland County, recorded fish include bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Walnut Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 72°F for July and 23°F for January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about late December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Walnut Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Evans Lake, 0.7 miles away. Treat access at Walnut Lake as something to verify.