Fishing Forecast · Michigan · Updated July 2026
Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township
DPortage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township earns a D for water quality. This forecast reads its measured clarity, depth, and trophic state — with each species' biology, the sun and moon, and today's conditions — to call when the fish move on Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township and how to catch them.
- 3
- fish species
- 5 ft
- water clarity
- Eutrophic
- trophic state
The bite on Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township today. Sunrise 6:28 AM, sunset 9:08 PM.
- Moon
- Waxing Gibbous · 84%
- Major windows
- 9:11 PM–11:11 PM · 9:37 AM–11:37 AM
Full Moon moon (100%). Fish the major windows at 12:32 AM and 12:56 PM.
14-Day Fishing Calendar
Plan the next two weeks on Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township. Anglers target Chestnut lamprey, Common shiner, Rainbow darter on Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township.
| Date | Rating | Moon | Sunrise | Sunset | Major Periods | Minor Periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jul 25 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Gibbous 84% lit | 6:28 AM | 9:08 PM | 9:11 PM – 11:11 PM 9:37 AM – 11:37 AM | 1:58 AM – 2:58 AM 6:18 PM – 7:18 PM |
| Sun, Jul 26 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Gibbous 91% lit | 6:29 AM | 9:07 PM | 10:02 PM – 12:02 AM 10:28 AM – 12:28 PM | 2:46 AM – 3:46 AM 7:07 PM – 8:07 PM |
| Mon, Jul 27 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Gibbous 96% lit | 6:30 AM | 9:06 PM | 10:53 PM – 12:53 AM 11:18 AM – 1:18 PM | 3:41 AM – 4:41 AM |
| Tue, Jul 28 | ★★☆☆☆ | Waxing Gibbous 99% lit | 6:31 AM | 9:05 PM | 11:43 PM – 1:43 AM 12:08 PM – 2:08 PM | 7:48 PM – 8:48 PM 4:43 AM – 5:43 AM |
| Wed, Jul 29 | ★★½☆☆ | Full Moon 100% lit | 6:32 AM | 9:04 PM | 12:32 AM – 2:32 AM 12:56 PM – 2:56 PM | 8:23 PM – 9:23 PM 5:48 AM – 6:48 AM |
| Thu, Jul 30 | ★★☆☆☆ | Waning Gibbous 99% lit | 6:33 AM | 9:03 PM | 1:19 AM – 3:19 AM 1:41 PM – 3:41 PM | 8:51 PM – 9:51 PM 6:54 AM – 7:54 AM |
| Fri, Jul 31 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waning Gibbous 95% lit | 6:34 AM | 9:02 PM | 2:04 AM – 4:04 AM 2:26 PM – 4:26 PM | 9:16 PM – 10:16 PM 8:01 AM – 9:01 AM |
| Sat, Aug 1 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waning Gibbous 89% lit | 6:35 AM | 9:01 PM | 2:47 AM – 4:47 AM 3:09 PM – 5:09 PM | 9:38 PM – 10:38 PM 9:08 AM – 10:08 AM |
| Sun, Aug 2 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Gibbous 82% lit | 6:36 AM | 9:00 PM | 3:31 AM – 5:31 AM 3:53 PM – 5:53 PM | 9:58 PM – 10:58 PM 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM |
| Mon, Aug 3 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waning Gibbous 73% lit | 6:37 AM | 8:58 PM | 4:15 AM – 6:15 AM 4:37 PM – 6:37 PM | 10:18 PM – 11:18 PM 11:24 AM – 12:24 PM |
| Tue, Aug 4 | ★★☆☆☆ | Waning Gibbous 63% lit | 6:38 AM | 8:57 PM | 5:00 AM – 7:00 AM 5:24 PM – 7:24 PM | 10:40 PM – 11:40 PM 12:35 PM – 1:35 PM |
| Wed, Aug 5 | ★★½☆☆ | Last Quarter 53% lit | 6:39 AM | 8:56 PM | 5:49 AM – 7:49 AM 6:15 PM – 8:15 PM | 11:04 PM – 12:04 AM 1:49 PM – 2:49 PM |
| Thu, Aug 6 | ★½☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 42% lit | 6:40 AM | 8:55 PM | 6:43 AM – 8:43 AM | 11:34 PM – 12:34 AM 3:04 PM – 4:04 PM |
| Fri, Aug 7 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 32% lit | 6:41 AM | 8:54 PM | 7:11 PM – 9:11 PM 7:41 AM – 9:41 AM | 12:12 AM – 1:12 AM 4:19 PM – 5:19 PM |
Server-rendered 14-day calendar starting 2026-07-25. Live in your browser shortly.
Methodology
How this forecast works
A plain solunar table only knows the moon. The LakeQuality Fishing Forecast starts there and adds what actually decides where and how fish bite on Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township — factors we measure rather than guess:
- Water clarity — Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township's Secchi reading flips the playbook between clear-water finesse and stained-water reaction baits, and sets the low-light bite window.
- Trophic state & depth — nutrient level and max depth set the summer weedline and whether the lake stratifies, which tells you how deep to fish.
- Water-body type — natural lake vs. reservoir changes the structure that holds fish.
- Species & season — each species' spawn-temperature window and seasonal movements, matched to the lake's estimated water temperature.
- Sun & moon — the solunar major/minor periods and dawn/dusk twilight in the calendar below.
The species outlook is a transparent heuristic weighting of these established factors, and it now also factors in today's live conditions — wind, cloud cover, and the barometric (pressure) trend, recomputed for the current day. It's not a validated catch predictor, and water temperature is still an estimate from season and latitude unless a recent USGS gauge reading exists. It's the analysis a solunar table can't do, grounded in Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township's real, measured water quality.
How to read the calendar
Major periods (≈2 hours) are centered on lunar transit (when the moon is highest in the sky) and lunar opposition (when the moon is directly underfoot). These are typically the strongest feeding windows.
Minor periods (≈1 hour) are centered on moonrise and moonset. They're secondary windows that often produce well — especially when they coincide with sunrise or sunset.
Day rating combines moon phase (peak near new and full moons, when lunar gravity is strongest) with the overlap of major periods and the dawn/dusk twilight. A 4–5 star day stacks all three.
At Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township (lat 42.04°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with 15h 15m of daylight. The shortest is around December 21 with 9h 6m. Plan summer trips around the early-morning bite (around 5:30 AM) and the long evening window before sunset.
Frequently asked questions
What makes this better than a solunar fishing table for Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township?
A solunar table only uses the moon. The LakeQuality Fishing Forecast adds Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township's measured water quality — its moderate clarity, trophic state, depth, and water-body type — matched to each species' spawn window and seasonal movements. That measured data drives where the fish hold and which techniques fit this lake's water, then the solunar calendar below adds the sun/moon timing. It's a transparent, multi-factor outlook, not a validated catch guarantee.
What is the best time to fish Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township today?
Today's solunar calendar for Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township (lat 42.04, lon -85.52) shows sunrise at 6:28 AM and sunset at 9:08 PM. The strongest fishing windows are around major solunar periods at 9:11 PM–11:11 PM and 9:37 AM–11:37 AM, plus the 30-90 minutes around dawn and dusk.
What does the moon phase mean for fishing Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township?
Solunar theory holds that fish activity peaks during major periods (when the moon is overhead or directly underfoot) and minor periods (moonrise and moonset). Fish feeding tends to intensify during the days surrounding the new moon and full moon, when lunar gravity is strongest. Today's moon at Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township is Waxing Gibbous (84% illuminated).
When are the longest and shortest days at Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township?
At Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township's latitude (42.04°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with about 15h 15m of daylight. The shortest day is around December 21 with about 9h 6m of daylight. Sunrise and sunset shift by roughly 6 hours between solstices.
Are major or minor solunar periods more important?
Major periods (about 2 hours, centered on lunar transit and lunar opposition) are generally considered the strongest feeding windows. Minor periods (about 1 hour, centered on moonrise and moonset) are secondary but still productive — especially when they overlap with sunrise or sunset.
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The species outlook is a transparent, multi-factor heuristic built from Portage Lake Southwest Basin; Mendon Township's measured water quality (clarity, trophic state, depth, water-body type) and established species biology, and it now also factors in today's live conditions — wind, cloud cover, and the barometric (pressure) trend, recomputed for the current day. It's not a validated catch predictor, and water temperature is still an estimate from season and latitude unless a recent USGS gauge reading is available. Solunar times use lat/lon and Meeus astronomical formulas, shown in Eastern Time. Always check local regulations and current conditions before fishing.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.