Messenger Lake Fishing near Coldwater, Michigan

• Overview

  The Branch County entry here is Messenger Lake, in Michigan. Around the bank it is rolling bush. At 23 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The closest town, Coldwater, is 2 miles distant. Fort Wayne sits 56 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Messenger 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. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Branch County include bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch and black crappie. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Messenger Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 71°F, with January the cold end at about 22°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near mid December in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Expect Messenger Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Launching is at Messenger Lake Boat Launch, about half a mile away. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Failing this one, try South Lake, 0.2 miles away. Signs at Messenger Lake carry more weight than any list.