Fishing Gut Lake in Livingston County, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Gut Lake falls inside Livingston County. This is rolling bush ground. With some 32 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 1.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Supplies mean a trip to Whitmore Lake, 4.6 miles off. The big place round here is Ann Arbor, 14 miles distant. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Gut Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Livingston County include bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Gut Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 71°F for July and 22°F for January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Gut Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Winans Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Gut Lake if anything is unclear.