Wildfowl Lake in Montmorency County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Montmorency County entry here is Wildfowl Lake, in Michigan. What surrounds it is rolling bush. It measures about 35 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 1.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Head to Lewiston, 21 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Grand Rapids, 170 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Wildfowl Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill and northern pike. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Wildfowl Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 17°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Wildfowl Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. The nearest alternative is Horsehead Lake, 0.4 miles out. Treat access at Wildfowl Lake as something to verify.