First Lake near Fremont: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Newaygo County, Michigan, this is First Lake. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. This is a pocket water of some 7 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Newaygo County list. Fremont sits 0.6 miles from the bank. After that come Newaygo at 8 miles and White Cloud at 9.8 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on First Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Newaygo County include largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The near bank of First Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 21°F in January and 70°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing First Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Public Boat Launch provides a boat ramp about half a mile away. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. 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. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Second Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for First Lake.