Sunset Lake Fishing Guide, Kalamazoo County, Michigan

• Overview

  Sunset Lake is set in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. The ground round it is mixed forest. With some 83 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 3.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Vicksburg, is 0.4 miles distant. Further out sit Schoolcraft (5.4 miles) and Portage (5.8 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Sunset Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Kalamazoo County records list bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch and rock bass among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Sunset Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and January at 23°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at mid December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Sunset Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Thrall Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Sunset Lake.