Fishing at Winnewana Lake, Washtenaw County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Winnewana Lake in the Washtenaw County part of Michigan. It stands 958 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 17 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. For a base, Chelsea sits 4.3 miles out. After that come Stockbridge at 8 miles and Pinckney at 9.8 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Winnewana Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Washtenaw County names bluegill, largemouth bass, rock bass, black crappie and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Winnewana Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at mid December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Winnewana Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Cassidy Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Winnewana Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.