Fishing Maston Lake in Montcalm County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Montcalm County end of Michigan holds Maston Lake. It lies 837 feet above sea level. The water covers some 147 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 2.9 miles of margin, front to back. On our Montcalm County list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Greenville, is 8.6 miles away. Howard City follows at 10 miles, then Cedar Springs at 11 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Maston Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. 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. Fish documented in Montcalm County include bluegill, largemouth bass and white sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Maston Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 70°F on average, January about 21°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Maston Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Cedar Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Maston Lake if anything is unclear.