Toogood Lake Fishing Guide, Newaygo County, Michigan

• Overview

  Toogood Lake belongs to Newaygo County, Michigan. It sits at 1,050 feet above sea level. About 16 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The nearest place of any size is Big Rapids, 7.5 miles away. Beyond it, White Cloud at 12 miles and Reed City at 14 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Toogood Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Newaygo County include largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, johnny darter and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Toogood Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 19°F to 68°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Toogood Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Hungerford Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Toogood Lake in what we hold.