East Lakes near Kalkaska: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Within Kalkaska County, Michigan, you have East Lakes. This is lake country bush country. At about 46 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Roughly 1.4 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Kalkaska is the closest town at 11 miles. Grand Rapids sits 129 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on East Lakes

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Survey and observation records for Kalkaska County include yellow perch, white sucker and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read East Lakes before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 18°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. East Lakes fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A made slipway is half a mile from here, which settles the boat question. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Mallard Lake sits 1.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish East Lakes.