Horsehead Lake Fishing near Canadian Lakes, Michigan

• Overview

  The Mecosta County entry here is Horsehead Lake, in Michigan. It sits in pine and birch. It measures some 433 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mecosta County list. Canadian Lakes is the closest place, 7.2 miles off. Big Rapids lies 11 miles off, Lake Isabella another 13 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Horsehead Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Mecosta County include bluegill, largemouth bass and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Horsehead Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 69°F in July and bottom out at 19°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. The lid tends to go about early April and return around mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing Horsehead Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Big John Brown Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Horsehead Lake may have changed since it was mapped.