Kelsey Lake in Cass County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Kelsey Lake falls in Cass County, part of Michigan. What surrounds it is lake country bush. With some 92 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 2.2 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. For a base, Cassopolis sits 4.5 miles out. South Bend sits 24 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Kelsey Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Cass County include bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat Kelsey Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 23°F to 72°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late March. Open water usually runs from late March until about late December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Kelsey Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Mill Pond, 3 miles out. Confirm before you fish Kelsey Lake.