Fishing at Hardy Dam Pond, Newaygo County, Michigan

• Overview

  Newaygo County, Michigan, is where Hardy Dam Pond sits. Height above sea level is 820 feet. It covers about 4.9 sq miles, which means weather matters as much as tactics. Of the waters listed here in Newaygo County, this is the largest. Some 9.6 miles away sits White Cloud, the nearest settlement. Howard City follows at 10 miles, then Newaygo at 12 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Hardy Dam Pond

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Public occurrence data for Newaygo County names largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and johnny darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Hardy Dam Pond responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 20°F in January up to 69°F in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. From about early April to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Expect Hardy Dam Pond to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Brady Lake is 4 miles off. None of that is settled for Hardy Dam Pond in what we hold.