Lake Ranney in Montcalm County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Ranney falls in Montcalm County, part of Michigan. It stands 801 feet above sea level. Around 50 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Bank access stretches around 1.1 miles in total. For supplies, Belding is 1.4 miles out. Further out sit Greenville (4.3 miles) and Ionia (12 miles). The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ranney

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. 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 Montcalm County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass, white sucker, johnny darter and pink salmon. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Lake Ranney is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 21°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Lake Ranney around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Hadicks Lake is 2.5 miles off. Ask locally about Lake Ranney if anything is unclear.