Williams Lake in Oakland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Oakland County in Michigan is where Williams Lake sits. The surface lies 965 feet up. Roughly 170 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 3.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Size puts it in the front rank of our Oakland County list. Waterford lies 1.3 miles from the water. For a city, Sterling Heights is 21 miles off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Williams Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Oakland County include bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Williams Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 22°F in January and 70°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Williams Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Huntoon Lake, 1.1 miles out. Where Williams Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.