Flat Iron Lake Fishing in Kent County, Michigan

• Overview

  Flat Iron Lake is a Kent County water, Michigan side. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. Small at around 24 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Bank access stretches around 1.0 miles in total. Nearest place of any size is Greenville, 7.6 miles away. Beyond it, Belding at 8.1 miles and Rockford at 8.8 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Flat Iron Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name bluegill, rock bass, johnny darter, largemouth bass and black crappie. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Flat Iron Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 70°F and January near 21°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Flat Iron Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Hull Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Flat Iron Lake.