Chase Lake Fishing near Forest Hills, Michigan

• Overview

  You will find Chase Lake in Kent County, Michigan. The surface lies 801 feet up. The water covers some 34 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Forest Hills lies 4 miles from the water. Grand Rapids sits 11 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Chase Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Kent County include bluegill, rock bass, johnny darter and largemouth bass. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Chase Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 70°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Chase Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. 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. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Downs Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. For Chase Lake in particular, ask before you travel.