Winans Lake Fishing near Brighton, Michigan

• Overview

  Within Livingston County, Michigan, you have Winans Lake. This is mixed forest ground. It measures about 146 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The bank runs about 2.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Few waters listed in Livingston County are bigger. Nearest town is Brighton, 4.4 miles off. Then Whitmore Lake, 4.9 miles, and Pinckney, 6.3 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Winans Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Livingston County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie and pink salmon. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Treat Winans Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 22°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Winans Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Gut Lake, 0.4 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Winans Lake.