West Crooked Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  West Crooked Lake sits within Livingston County in Michigan. It stands 935 feet above sea level. Roughly 184 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. It ranks high for size among our Livingston County listings. You are 4 miles from Brighton. It is 19 miles to Ann Arbor, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on West Crooked Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Livingston County list bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fish West Crooked Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 70°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate averages put the opening at about late March and the closing near mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing West Crooked Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Launch at East Crooked Lake Boat Launch, 0.9 miles from the water. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Clifford Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Rules at West Crooked Lake are worth checking on the day.