Fishing Cummings Lake in Genesee County, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Cummings Lake belongs to Genesee County. Height above sea level is 840 feet. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Genesee County standards. The closest town, Goodrich, is 2.5 miles distant. Sterling Heights sits 35 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Cummings Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Genesee County include bluegill, largemouth bass, pink salmon, black crappie and common carp. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Cummings Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 71°F and January near 22°F on the long-run figures. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. At Cummings Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Seeley Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Cummings Lake if anything is unclear.