Fishing at Duck Lake, Kent County, Michigan

• Overview

  You will find Duck Lake in Kent County, Michigan. Around the bank it is pine and birch. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Start from Belmont, 2.5 miles down the road. Beyond it, Rockford at 4 miles and Northview at 4.6 miles. What else is close: Freska Lake within 0.4 miles, Mirror Lake (0.6 miles), Clear Bottom Lake within 0.7 miles, Mud Lake (0.9 miles) and Elk Lake within 0.9 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Duck Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name bluegill, rock bass, johnny darter and largemouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Duck Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 70°F, with January the cold end at about 22°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Duck Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Freska Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Duck Lake before loading the car.