Youngs Lake Fishing Guide, Mecosta County, Michigan

• Overview

  Youngs Lake belongs to Mecosta County, Michigan. The ground round it is lake country bush. At about 124 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The whole outline is near 2.0 miles, and most of it is walkable. It is among the larger waters listed here for Mecosta County. Nearest place of any size is Big Rapids, 4.3 miles away. The big place round here is Grand Rapids, 55 miles distant. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Youngs Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Mecosta County include bluegill, largemouth bass and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Youngs Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 69°F; by January the average is down near 19°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Youngs Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Alma Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Youngs Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.