Bearslee Lake Fishing in Kent County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Kent County, Michigan, this is Bearslee Lake. The bank gives way to rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 12 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest place of any size is Greenville, 3.7 miles away. Beyond it, Belding at 5.6 miles and Rockford at 12 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Bearslee Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Kent County, recorded fish include bluegill, rock bass, johnny darter and largemouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Bearslee Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 21°F and July at about 70°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Bearslee Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, County Line Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Bearslee Lake for certain.