Davis Lake Fishing Guide, Kent County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Kent County, Michigan, this is Davis Lake. This is pine and birch ground. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Kent County standards. The closest town, Rockford, is 6.6 miles away. Grand Rapids is the closest city, 17 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Davis Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Kent County, recorded fish include bluegill, rock bass, johnny darter, largemouth bass and black crappie. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Davis Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 21°F and July at about 70°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That shapes the year on Davis Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Brown Lake is 1.6 miles distant. Confirm access to Davis Lake locally before you travel.