Nearest town: Weidman
Latitude / Longitude: 43 39.73 / 84 57.41
Surface water area: 294 acres
Maximum depth: 65 ft.
Water clarity: Very clear
Accessibility: County-owned public access in park on east shore, off
Littlefield Road; hard-surfaced ramp suitable for most craft; adequate
parking; launch fee
Accommodations: Park, campground, picnic area, toilets
Survey start - end dates: 10/14/99
Survey objective: Walleye evaluation
Gear type(s) utilized: Boomshocker
Fish cover types observed: Bottom mainly sand, some weedbeds
here and there, sharp dropoffs
Fish foods observed: Minnows fairly abundant, crayfish, aquatic
invertebrates and insects
FISHING INFORMATION: Coldwater Lake has lots of decent
-size walleyes and plenty of largemouth and smallmouth bass
plus crappies, says Greg Clark of Schafers Bait and Sporting
Goods, 3222 N. Woodruff Road, Weidman, MI 48893, (989)
644-3501. A recent DNR report says this 294-acre lake also
has plenty of minnows, crayfish and log perch for those species,
plus the lakes panfish to dine on.
Clark says you also will find some 28- to 30-inch northern pike
here. The crappies run big, averaging about 12 inches, while the
walleyes run about 16 inches on average. The bass are in the 15-
inch length range. Dardevles and live sucker minnows often work
for attracting pike, and Clark suggests trying crawler harnesses
and Rapalas Fat Raps for bassand walleyes.
Start your search for walleyes near the river inlet on the west
end of the lake or on the edges of a weedbed north of the boat
launch
(Spots 1). The eyes can also be found in deep waters
near the southeast end of the lake
(Spot 2). Pay special
attention to the inside turn at the southeastern tip of that deep
hole.
The bay at the south end will also produce pike on many days
(Spot 3). Troll those spoons along the weedlines in, say, 10
feet of water. Look for bass around the points along the western
shore
(Spots 4) and especially near the lake outlet on the
southwestern corner of the lake
(Spot 5). Ice fishing
is usually good on this lake, with walleyes, pike and crappies
most often pulled through the ice. Put your first hole near a
sunken island just off from the boat launch
(Spot 6).
Clark cautions that ice thickness varies widely on this lake. He
says youd best check with a local angler before you venture out
if you dont want to take an unscheduled bathor worse. Theres
a decent ramp in the county park and campground. A modest
fee is charged for launching.
Sportsman's Connection is a leading publisher of lake maps and
fishing information. 130-250 Michigan lakes are covered in each of
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www.scmaps.com.