Leggets Lake (Waterford Township, Michigan)

Leggets Lake (originally Leggett's Lake) was named for Mortimer Leggett (1837–1930) who came from New York and settled on a 140-acre farm in Clintonville, Michigan, next to the lake that would bear his family name.[3] The lake originally was separate from Lake Oakland and an effort to conjoin the two commenced in the late 1950s and concluded in 1960. Now part of Lake Oakland, the body of water is referred to as Leggett Bay. Grayson Canal was added to expand lake access to homeowners on Rutherford Court (formerly the Rutherford Estate) and Athens Avenue (formerly Meigs Fields property).[4]

Map of Leggett property, circa 1930, demonstrating that Leggett Lake / Bay was not connected to Lake Oakland. Map courtesy of Waterford Historical Society.

Map of Leggett Bay, circa 1964, now demonstrating that Leggett Lake had been conjoined with Lake Oakland to the north. Map courtesy of Waterford Historical Society.

According to the Oakland County, Michigan, parks department's Fishing Opportunities Report, the following fish have received a rating of "Better Than Average Fishing": largemouth bass, bluegill, brown bullhead, black crappie, and northern pike. The following fish received a rating of "Fishable Population Present": carp and pumpkinseed.[5]

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources' most recent fisheries survey was conducted on Lake Oakland in May 2001. Eighteen fish species were collected during this survey, including bluegill, black crappie, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, warmouth, yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow bullhead, brown bullhead, bowfin, channel catfish walleye, common carp, grass pickerel, and bluntnosed minnow.[4]