Twentyeight Lakes, Michigan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Twentyeight Lakes sits within Kalkaska County in Michigan. It stands 1,089 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 82 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. About 1.6 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On our Kalkaska County list it sits near the top for size. You are 8 miles from Kalkaska. Beyond it, Rapid City at 16 miles and Kingsley at 18 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Twentyeight Lakes

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Kalkaska County names yellow perch, white sucker, rock bass and largemouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Twentyeight Lakes rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 18°F in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Twentyeight Lakes by conditions rather than dates.

• 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. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Price Lake is 0.7 miles distant. What applies at Twentyeight Lakes may have changed since it was mapped.