Fishing at Clifford Lake, Montcalm County, Michigan

• Overview

  Clifford Lake is set in Montcalm County, Michigan. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. The water covers some 183 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The shoreline runs about 3.3 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Few waters listed in Montcalm County are bigger. You are 5.6 miles from Stanton. Greenville lies 9.6 miles off, Edmore another 10 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Clifford Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Montcalm County include bluegill, largemouth bass, white sucker, johnny darter and pink salmon. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Clifford Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 20°F in January to roughly 70°F in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early April to mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Clifford Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The slipway at Clifford Lake Boat Launch is half a mile away. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Dickerson Lake at 1.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Clifford Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.