Camp Lake Fishing near Sparta, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Camp Lake belongs to Kent County. The setting is pine and birch. At about 133 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 2.1 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It ranks high for size among our Kent County listings. The closest town, Sparta, is 2.5 miles distant. Kent City is 5.2 miles and Cedar Springs 6.6 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Camp Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. 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. Open biodiversity records for Kent County list bluegill, rock bass, johnny darter, largemouth bass and black crappie. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Camp Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 21°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Camp Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. A ramp at Camp Lake Boat Launch is mapped half a mile away. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. There are toilets half a mile off. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Whit Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Camp Lake for certain.