Leggett Lake near Wayland: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Leggett Lake sits in Allegan County, out in Michigan. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Allegan County list. Start from Wayland, 6.5 miles down the road. Grand Rapids sits 22 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Leggett Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Allegan County list alewife, rainbow smelt, yellow perch, bloater and bluegill. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Leggett Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 22°F at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late March. From about late March to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Leggett Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. Carp respond to sweetcorn or boilies fished patiently on the bottom near feeding areas. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. McDermott Lake at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Leggett Lake if anything is unclear.