Upper Lake in Kent County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Upper Lake is listed under Kent County, Michigan. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. Surface area is around 35 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. For supplies, Cedar Springs is 4.9 miles out. For a city, Grand Rapids is 23 miles off. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Upper Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Kent County list bluegill, rock bass and johnny darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Upper Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 70°F and January near 21°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Upper Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Middle Lake is 0.5 miles off. Check the position on Upper Lake before loading the car.