Red Lake in Van Buren County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Van Buren County in Michigan is where Red Lake sits. It lies 787 feet above sea level. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Van Buren County list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest place of any size is Hartford, 4.4 miles away. The nearest city of size is South Bend, 33 miles away. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Red Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Van Buren County include bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch and pink salmon. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Red Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 72°F and January about 23°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. The season between ice runs from about late March to late December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. That shapes the year on Red Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Johnson Lake at 2.3 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Red Lake in what we hold.