Nichols Lake is a lake in Michigan, near Newaygo County.
If you are getting ready to fish Nichols Lake, keep the first plan simple. This lake is in Newaygo County. It covers about 143.2 acres. The deepest recorded spot is 50 feet. On a first trip, I would use the wind, water color, visible cover, and any signs of bait to decide where to spend time on Nichols Lake.
There is enough depth here for fish to move well away from the bank. During stable summer weather, bait depth and the usable oxygen band may matter more than shoreline cover.
Early-season fish often slide between shallow spawning areas and the nearest break. By midsummer, low light and stable cover matter more. Autumn is a good time to revisit points and weed edges as forage moves.
The opening hour is a small experiment. Keep one lure high, one in the middle, and one close to bottom. Once fish reveal a productive level, stop sampling everything and spend real time in that band.
| County | Newaygo |
|---|---|
| Water type | Lake |
| Surface area | 143.2 acres |
| Maximum depth | 50 feet |
| Recorded fish | Black Crappie, Blacknose Shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Brown Bullhead, Central Mudminnow, Cisco, Common Shiner, Golden Shiner, and Green Sunfish, plus 9 more |
A lake-specific profile for Nichols Lake in Newaygo County reports a fisheries survey from 2008 and vegetation coverage around 2.6 percent. That combination gives us a more useful picture than the lake name alone: it is a mapped basin with both biological sampling and measured plant habitat.
The current record for Nichols Lake in Newaygo County lists Black Crappie, Blacknose Shiner, Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Brown Bullhead, Central Mudminnow, Cisco, Common Shiner, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Iowa Darter, and Largemouth Bass, along with 7 additional recorded species. That is a starting point, not a promise that every species is common in every season or every part of the basin. For largemouth bass, compare shallow cover with the first firm edge before assuming the fish moved deep. A small jig is a clean way to locate the active panfish depth. For walleye or saugeye, low light, wind, channel edges, and bait depth usually matter more than shoreline appearance.
Use terminal tackle strong enough for the target without making every presentation bulky. For fish going back, quick hook removal and steady horizontal support matter more than a long photo session.
When bites disappear, check whether wind or sun changed the cover before abandoning it. Fish may slide from the inside weed line to the outside edge without leaving the area.
Begin where healthy cover touches a depth change. If that area is empty, check the nearest inflow, point, or hard-bottom patch before making a long move.
If Nichols Lake is not showing bait, bites, followers, or healthy cover after a fair try, change depth or move to a different type of water. Do not stay put only because the spot looks good.
Review current Michigan fishing rules, weather, water temperature, and water level. Those details can change, so verify them directly instead of trusting an old report.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.
Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.