McCarthy Lake, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Kent County end of Michigan holds McCarthy Lake. The surface lies 823 feet up. The water covers some 29 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Forest Hills sits 7.5 miles from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Rockford at 8.2 miles and Northview at 8.9 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on McCarthy Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name bluegill, rock bass and johnny darter. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Take McCarthy Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 70°F and January reads 22°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at McCarthy Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Gavin Lake is 0.8 miles distant. Ask locally about McCarthy Lake if anything is unclear.