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Fishing Kalamazoo River: what the data says
Marshall to Allegan. underrated smallmouth float water. The river tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Kalamazoo River
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 3.1), a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Walleye fishing at Kalamazoo River
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Channel Catfish fishing at Kalamazoo River
Spring channel catfish on Kalamazoo River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 8.4), a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Rock Bass fishing at Kalamazoo River
Spring rock bass on Kalamazoo River hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 3.1), a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Notable structure
- Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Monroe Street Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Allegan City Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Morrow Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Plainwell Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Menasha Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 8.4): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 10.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 16.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 23.3): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 25.1): creek channel, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is Kalamazoo River?
Kalamazoo River is about 10 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Kalamazoo River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, rock bass on Kalamazoo River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Kalamazoo River?
Riffle & run (mile 3.1) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Kalamazoo River?
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Gull Lake · Little Long Lake · Sherman Lake · Crooked Lake, Lower · Pleasant Lake · Wall Lake
See how Kalamazoo River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best channel catfish lakes in Michigan · best rock bass lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.