Upjohn Pond in Kalamazoo County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Michigan, Upjohn Pond falls inside Kalamazoo County. The bank gives way to pine and birch. With some 80 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 1.5 miles on foot. Supplies mean a trip to Portage, 1.6 miles off. Vicksburg follows at 6 miles, then Kalamazoo at 6.3 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Upjohn Pond

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Kalamazoo County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and pumpkinseed. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Treat Upjohn Pond as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 72°F in July and bottoms out near 23°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Upjohn Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Long Lake, 1.5 miles out. Check the position at Upjohn Pond before loading the car.