Cedar Lake in Montcalm County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cedar Lake is a Montcalm County water, Michigan side. It lies 794 feet above sea level. At roughly 20 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The closest town, Stanton, is 6 miles distant. For a city, Grand Rapids is 39 miles off. Neighbouring water: Crooked Lake 0.7 miles away, Mud Lake at 0.9 miles, Muskrat Lake 1.6 miles away, Baker Lake at 2 miles and Holland Lake 2.8 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Cedar Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Montcalm County: bluegill, largemouth bass, white sucker and johnny darter. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Cedar Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 21°F in January to roughly 70°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Expect Cedar Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Crooked Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Cedar Lake before loading the car.