Fishing Muskrat Lake in Newaygo County, Michigan

• Overview

  Newaygo County, Michigan, is where Muskrat Lake sits. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. It runs to roughly 29 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Michigan listings. Some 5.2 miles away sits Twin Lake, the nearest settlement. After that come Wolf Lake at 6.4 miles and Lakewood Club at 9.9 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Muskrat Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Newaygo County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and johnny darter. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Muskrat Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 70°F on average, January about 22°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Muskrat Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Baker Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Muskrat Lake for certain.