Mid Lake in Kent County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Michigan, Mid Lake falls inside Kent County. The setting is lake country bush on every side. This is a pocket water of some 18 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. 1.7 miles away sits East Grand Rapids, the nearest town. Grand Rapids is 3.3 miles away, with Northview at 5.5 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mid Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Kent County list bluegill, rock bass, johnny darter and largemouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Mid Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 72°F; by January the average is down near 23°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Mid Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, West Lake at 0.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Mid Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.