Fishing Portage Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Portage Lake falls inside Kalamazoo County. It stands 932 feet above sea level. It measures some 358 acres, and wind has room to build across it. Some 6.5 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Kalamazoo County list it sits near the top for size. Galesburg at 4.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Grand Rapids is 52 miles off. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Portage Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Kalamazoo County names bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Portage Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 72°F, while January sits near 23°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Look for the thaw near late March; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Portage Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. There are toilets half a mile off. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Potter Lake, 0.4 miles away. Ask locally about Portage Lake if anything is unclear.