McGinnis Lake Fishing in Kalamazoo County, Michigan

• Overview

  McGinnis Lake sits in Kalamazoo County, out in Michigan. Around the bank it is pine and birch. Small at around 19 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Kalamazoo County list holds plenty of bigger water. Supplies mean a trip to Galesburg, 4.5 miles off. The big place round here is Grand Rapids, 52 miles distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on McGinnis Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Kalamazoo County list bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. McGinnis Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and January at 22°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late March. Averages suggest open water from about late March through to roughly mid December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. McGinnis Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Potter Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Confirm before you fish McGinnis Lake.