Fishing Winona Lake in Hillsdale County, Michigan

• Overview

  Winona Lake is a Hillsdale County water, in Michigan. It lies 1,073 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 31 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Hillsdale sits 0.8 miles from the bank. Jonesville is 4.3 miles and Reading 9 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Winona Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Hillsdale County include bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Winona Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 71°F and January near 22°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late March. The season between ice runs from about late March to mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Winona Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Barber Lake is 0.4 miles distant. What applies at Winona Lake may have changed since it was mapped.