Fink Lake in Ingham County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Ingham County end of Michigan holds Fink Lake. This is lake country bush country. At about 35 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Few waters listed in Ingham County are bigger. The closest town, Stockbridge, is 1.9 miles distant. After that come Chelsea at 11 miles and Grass Lake at 12 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Fink Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Ingham County include bluegill, rock bass, smallmouth bass, green sunfish and black crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Fink Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 71°F for July and 22°F for January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually goes in late March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That shapes the year on Fink Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Whitehead Lake, 1.3 miles away. Check the position on Fink Lake before loading the car.