Lake Sixteen, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Sixteen sits within Allegan County in Michigan. The surroundings are lake country bush. At about 34 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 0.9 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest place of any size is Wayland, 7.7 miles away. Grand Rapids is the closest city, 28 miles away. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lake Sixteen

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Allegan County include alewife, rainbow smelt, yellow perch and bloater. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Lake Sixteen the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 71°F, with January the cold end at about 22°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On average, late March opens the water and mid December closes it again. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Lake Sixteen the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Lake Sixteen Boat Launch provides a boat ramp about half a mile away. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Fenner Lake at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Lake Sixteen before loading the car.