Fishing at Simmons Lake, Montcalm County, Michigan

• Overview

  Simmons Lake falls in Montcalm County, part of Michigan. It sits at 850 feet above sea level. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Montcalm County. Supplies mean a trip to Greenville, 8.9 miles off. The big place round here is Grand Rapids, 31 miles distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Simmons Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Montcalm County names bluegill, largemouth bass, white sucker and johnny darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Simmons Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 21°F in January and 70°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Simmons Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Langston State Game Area runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Hunter Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Check the position at Simmons Lake before loading the car.