Farrand Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Farrand Lake sits in Saint Joseph County, out in Michigan. This is lake country bush country. The water covers some 47 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 0.9 miles in total. Colon sits 1.1 miles from the bank. The big place round here is South Bend, 50 miles distant. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Farrand Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Saint Joseph County include bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and pink salmon. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Farrand Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 72°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near late March, and forms again about mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. At Farrand Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Washburn Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Farrand Lake.