Howard Lake Fishing near Lowell, Michigan

• Overview

  The Kent County entry here is Howard Lake, in Michigan. What surrounds it is rolling bush. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Kent County standards. Start from Lowell, 8.1 miles down the road. Further out sit Forest Hills (8.3 miles) and Belding (8.3 miles). You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Howard Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Kent County, recorded fish include bluegill, rock bass and johnny darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Howard Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 70°F for July and 22°F for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from early April until about mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Howard Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Byrne Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Check the position on Howard Lake before loading the car.