Woodruff Lake in Livingston County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Woodruff Lake falls in Livingston County, part of Michigan. The surface lies 886 feet up. The water covers some 35 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 0.9 miles keeps the choices simple. The nearest town is Brighton, 2.7 miles away. Whitmore Lake follows at 5.6 miles, then South Lyon at 5.7 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Woodruff Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Livingston County: bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Woodruff Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 22°F at the bottom of winter. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Woodruff Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Pickerel Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Woodruff Lake may have changed since it was mapped.